The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, emphasized that membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is not compulsory, following the recent exits of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from the regional bloc.
In an interview with Al Jazeera during his visit to Qatar as part of a delegation led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Tuggar highlighted the importance of the community aspect of ECOWAS and stated that it is ultimately up to the regimes in the respective countries to decide on their membership.
Regarding the potential reinvention of ECOWAS after the withdrawals, Tuggar dismissed the need for any major changes, stating that there is a process for leaving the bloc that takes about a year. He pointed out the practical challenges that the exiting countries would face, such as the need for new passports and residency arrangements for their citizens currently residing in other ECOWAS member states.
Tuggar also highlighted ECOWAS’s humanitarian approach, noting that sanctions against the departing countries were lifted in consideration of the upcoming Ramadan fasting period.
President Tinubu, in his capacity as Chairman of ECOWAS, led efforts to remove the sanctions, leading to the reopening of borders within the bloc.
