The military leaders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced that they have no intention of rejoining the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
During their first joint summit in Niamey, Niger, since their withdrawal in January, they criticized the bloc for failing to fulfill its mandate and decided to strengthen their own alliance, the Confederation of Sahel States (CES), formed last year.
General Abdourahmane Tchiani, Niger’s military leader, described ECOWAS as a “threat to our states” and advocated for a CES focused on African interests, rather than following directives from foreign powers.
The summit of these three countries took place on the eve of an ECOWAS meeting in Nigeria, where other regional leaders discussed the challenges facing the region.