Withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from ECOWAS – what impacts

On January 29, 2025, the withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from ECOWAS became effective, depriving the organization of 73.4 million inhabitants, approximately 15% of its total population.

To limit the human and economic impact of this break, ECOWAS maintains, until further notice, the free movement of citizens and preferential trade status with the AES countries.

This unilateral exit of the AES is based on a global questioning of the organization, accused of inefficiency and partiality by the juntas in power.

While political and security dialogue is already broken between the two spaces, questions arise about the redefinition of logistical flows and, perhaps soon, the monetary unity of the West African space.