The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is “confident” that Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will return to the regional bloc, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said on Wednesday.

“Much has been said of the departure of three of our member states, to the point that it distracts from the significant achievements of our community. But democracy is a process, not an event,” Tuggar said at the 50th anniversary ceremony of ECOWAS in Nigeria.

ECOWAS President Omar Alieu Touray said he was happy that “even without brothers who left our organisation,” the West African bloc has an “understanding of the need to continue together as members of the West African family.”

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) – announced its intent to withdraw from ECOWAS on January 29, 2025, citing dissatisfaction with sanctions and perceived foreign influence, following military coups in the three Sahel countries.

Joint security force

The three officially withdrew from ECOWAS on January 29, leaving the bloc with 12 members. ECOWAS set a six-month transition from January 29, 2025, to July 29, 2025, to encourage the AES to reconsider the exit.

The AES was created as a mutual defence pact in September 2023 that was formalised into a confederation on July 6, 2024, signing a treaty to deepen the defence pact and expand cooperation in defence, economic and social sectors.

The military-led governments have taken bold steps to redefine their international alignment, including recent withdrawals from ECOWAS and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

The AES has also announced plans to deploy a joint force of 5,000 troops to counter the growing threat of terrorism in the region. Additional initiatives include the launch of a common passport and a joint web-based television channel aimed at countering disinformation.