President Akufo-Addo has expressed regret over the unfortunate decision made by Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to withdraw their membership from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Currently under military rule, these countries have stated that ECOWAS has become obsolete and does not align with their interests.
As the former ECOWAS Chair, President Akufo-Addo noted that this decision would have repercussions for the citizens of these nations.
He mentioned that discussions were pending to assess the consequences of their withdrawal and determine the next steps forward.
“This unfortunate decision by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to withdraw from the ECOWAS community is going to be very negative for the populations there. But ECOWAS is yet to meet. It happened on Sunday, and we are waiting for a signal from the head, Nigerian President Tinubu, to indicate the time when we will have a summit to examine the implications of what has happened and the way forward for the community,” he is quoted to have said by CitiNews.
President Akufo-Addo did not explicitly state what these three countries stand to lose. Being a member of ECOWAS has its advantages. Hence, it is fair to conclude that no longer being a part means one may or can no longer enjoy such privileges.
Some benefits of being a member of ECOWAS include; reduced tariffs and quotas, facilitating the flow of goods and services within the region, free movement of people across member states.