by Olatunji Saliu

ABUJA, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday gave Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger a six-month grace period from Jan. 29 to July 29, 2025 to reconsider their decision to exit the regional bloc.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, Omar Touray, president of the ECOWAS Commission, said the decision was to use the six-month grace period as a transitional period and to keep the West African bloc's doors open to the three countries during the period.

"The authority acknowledges that by the provisions of Article 91 of the revised ECOWAS Treaty, the three countries will officially cease to be members of ECOWAS from January 29, 2025," Touray said.

"In this regard, the authority extends the mandate of the president of Togo and the president of Senegal to continue their mediation role up to the end of the transition period to bring the three member countries back to ECOWAS," he said.

Touray said ECOWAS leaders at the ordinary summit on Sunday commended the "exemplary diplomatic engagement of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal and President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, as well as the diplomatic efforts of the chairman of the authority of ECOWAS, President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, and other individual member states toward the three countries."

Touray said an extraordinary session of the council of ministers has also been directed to be held in the second quarter of 2025 to consider and adopt both separation modalities and a contingency plan covering political and economic relations between ECOWAS and the three countries.

Meanwhile, Touray commended regional leaders for their collective resolve to address the region's pressing challenges. He also encouraged the leaders to carry forward the optimism and the resolve that have guided the deliberations.

"Together, let us continue to champion the cause of a peaceful, secure and prosperous West Africa, to build ECOWAS into a community of peoples anchored to the ideals of freedom, justice, democracy and a vision of good governance that addresses the legitimate aspirations of our peoples," Tinubu said.

On Jan. 28, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger jointly declared an intention to withdraw from ECOWAS in response to earlier sanctions imposed by the regional bloc to pressure military juntas in those countries to return to constitutional order.

The move sparked concerns among ECOWAS bloc members, headquartered in Abuja, which later lifted the sanctions.

Last Wednesday, Tinubu told visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Abuja that the interests and welfare of the citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger remain a priority for the leaders of ECOWAS, assuring that diplomacy and wisdom will be guiding principles in reintegrating the countries into the regional bloc.

ECOWAS was founded in 1975, with a mission to promote economic integration in all fields of economic activities, particularly industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial matters, as well as social and cultural affairs. Enditem

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