General Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of state of the Niger Republic has declared that the decision of the three Sahel countries to leave the 15-member nations of the West African bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is sovereign.

General Tchiani, who toppled a democratically elected government in a military coup in July 2023, said that none of the three countries would rejoin the regional bloc, ECOWAS.

SaharaReporters reported that Mali, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger had on January 28, 2024 announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS “with immediate effect.”

They made the decision in a joint communiqué signed by representatives of the three countries and subsequently followed by separate official notifications on January 29, to the ECOWAS on their decision.

According to them, “Just because we are members of the bloc, food and medicine supply was cut off. Power was also cut off and our own funds have been freezed. So, we consulted our friends in the Sahel on exiting the bloc to better the life of our citizens.

“That we should withdraw from the bloc that is answerable to the foreign countries. So, we have withdrawn our membership from the bloc and would never return to the union.”

SaharaReporters reported on February 8, that ECOWAS had said that the decision of the three member states: Mali, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger to withdraw their membership of the West African bloc has no real reasons nor does it show reflection of its implications on their citizens.

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, said this at the Extra-ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at Ministerial Level held at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The extra-ordinary session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at ministerial level was held to discuss the recent decisions of the three member states to withdraw from ECOWAS.

The extra-ordinary session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at ministerial level was held to discuss the recent decisions of the three member states to withdraw from ECOWAS.

Touray said that the unfolding events in the region are posing threats to peace and political stability in the West African community.

He noted that “If there is a time for ECOWAS to stay together, this is the time,” stressing that “there is no challenge that ECOWAS cannot overcome.”

But speaking in an interview with RTN news, Gen. Tchiani vowed that the three-member countries would not rejoin ECOWAS.

When asked about the consequences of their withdrawal on security, trade and socio-economic activities, he said, “Now the world is a global village and is the world within ECOWAS? So, God will feed every human He created.

“We would never release Bazoum. Setting Bazoum free is akin to stabbing ourselves in the stomach which would do harm to Nigeriens,” he added.