Nigeria’s president pleaded for constructive dialogue, prudent judgment, and collective work to find peace, security, and political stability in ECOWAS.

ECOWAS on the weekend discussed the implications of the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the regional bloc.

Those countries benefitted from foreign funding, including to their militaries, which are fighting widespread jihadism. 

The withdrawal of three states from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will do no favours for the bloc in its fight against terrorism while those countries literally pay the cost—not much shy of R2 billion.

ECOWAS held an extraordinary session in Abuja, chaired by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, on the weekend.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger all withdrew from ECOWAS as the region was shaken by coups. They are now all under military rule, and have formed a military pact called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

In his opening remarks, Tinubu said it was important for the heads of state from ECOWAS to “engage in constructive dialogue, exercise prudent judgment, and work collectively to find solutions to foster peace, security, and political stability in our region.”

Critics have argued that AES was focused more on stoking anti-French sentiment than fighting violent extremism.

According to ECOWAS, the AES countries’ “withdrawal will affect security cooperation in terms of sharing intelligence and participation in regional counter-terrorism initiatives, such as the Accra Initiative and Multinational Joint Task Force.”

It was revealed during the meeting the three countries benefitted from a R1.9 billion fund known by its French name, Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA).

So far, the three have drawn up more than R142 million from the UEMOA fund to equip their armies.