Mali reaffirmed its exit “without delay” from the Economic Community of West Africa, ECOWAS, stressing that it is not bound by the organisation’s one-year timeframe for withdrawal.
Bamako’s military government announced its withdrawal from ECOWAS on January 28, along with neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.
Article 91 of the bloc’s treaty stipulates that member countries remain bound by their obligations for a period of one year after notifying their withdrawal.
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AFP reports that in a letter to ECOWAS, the military government of Mali said it is no longer bound by the constraints mentioned in article 91 of the treaty.
The letter said ECOWAS had rendered the treaty inoperative when it failed to meet its obligations by closing member states’ borders with Mali in 2022, denying it access to the sea.
Recall that ECOWAS suspended the country and imposed heavy sanctions after a military coup overthrew the elected civilian government.
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