Burkina Faso, Mali, And Niger Forge Ahead With Plans To Form Confederation, Challenging West African Integration

Eko Hot Blog reports that the Ministers from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic are moving forward with plans to establish a confederation, according to the Malian foreign ministry on Thursday.

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The three countries, deepening their ties via an alliance, are proceeding with the confederation, a move that could impact broader West African integration.

The decision to form a confederation comes just weeks after Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2024. ECOWAS has urged them to reconsider, emphasizing the potential additional hardships their withdrawal could bring.

Despite being founding members of ECOWAS in 1975, the three nations were suspended following military coups that ousted elected civilian governments.

In Ouagadougou, Burkina’s Defence Minister, General Kassoum Coulibaly, noted that the talks provide an opportunity to pursue the implementation of “instruments, mechanisms, and procedures” and establish the “legal architecture for the confederation.”

His Niger counterpart, General Salifou Modi, stated that these procedures would enable the efficient functioning of the alliance and the confederation, bringing joy to the populations of the three countries.

Last November, the finance ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger mentioned the possibility of establishing a monetary union.

Top officials from these countries have expressed varying degrees of support for abandoning the West African CFA franc, a common currency.

Additionally, the military juntas in these nations have severed long-standing military ties with their former colonial ruler, France.

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This move has not only dealt a blow to France’s influence in the Sahel but has also complicated international efforts to combat militants linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

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