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The President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, Dr Omar Tourey, said that Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic stand a chance of losing out if they do not rescind their decision to exit the regional bloc.
Tourey said the exit of the three countries would also have a negative effect on the joint forces planned to combat terrorism and other security threats in the region.
Apart from the $500m projects, the ECOWAS Commission President said citizens of the three countries would also lose the privilege of using ECOWAS passports and cannot register companies.
Tourey said these at the formal opening of the first 2024 irdinary session of the 6th ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja.
Recall that three Sahel countries had earlier in January officially communicated their decision to quit the ECOWAS after they were slammed with sanctions over military takeovers.
ECOWAS had lifted the sanctions on them and encouraged them to return.
Tourey said, “Our region is facing the risk of disintegration with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger notifying ECOWAS of their intention to exit.
“Their exit will worsen insecurity and free movement, and deal a deadly blow to ECOWAS, especially regarding our joint efforts towards forming a regional standing force which all member states have agreed to.
“It will also lead to international community isolating these three countries and they will also not enjoy ECOWAS support for any international position they aspire for.”
On the privileges that Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin Republic would lose if they insist on leaving ECOWAS, Tourey said, “For instance, they will stop using ECOWAS passports, and cannot register companies.
“ECOWAS will stop all ongoing projects totaling over $500m dollars in their countries.
“ECOWAS Bank for Reconstruction and Development alone has projects worth nearly $321m dollars in these countries.
“Their quitting will also lead to the closure of regional institutions in their countries, and this will lead to the loss of many jobs by their citizens.”
Tourey, therefore, urged the parliamentarians to make meaningful contributions towards integrating West African countries as one entity.
In his own remarks, the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Edward Asante, called on the bloc’s parliament to ensure that Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic rescinded their decision to exit the regional bloc.
