Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have declared that Nigeria and ECOWAS are the biggest losers in the decision of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to withdraw from the regional union, the Economic Community of West African States.
Specifically, the NGOs said with the poor handling of the leadership crisis in these countries, ECOWAS and Nigeria are the biggest loser.
The NGOs who spoke to Elanza News concerning the three countries decision on ECOWAS are: Transparency International (TI), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG).
They said that these countries did not see any value or the need to remain in ECOWAS, adding that ECOWAS and the Nigerian government have overplayed the crisis but are now the losers sadly.
Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, the NGOs said that since ECOWAS and Nigeria couldn’t push for the resolution of the leadership crisis with the junta, they are now the biggest loser as the country needs their neighbors to get the security council seat.
Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, three Sahel nations have made a significant announcement, withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
In a joint statement released on Sunday, the leaders of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso stated that their decision to leave ECOWAS is a “sovereign decision” and will be implemented promptly.
This move comes as no surprise, considering the strained relations between these countries and ECOWAS following the series of coups that occurred in the region.
One of the ECOWAS meetings in Abuja last year.
Last July, Niger experienced a coup, followed by Burkina Faso in 2022 and Mali in 2020 which did not go down well with ECOWAS.
In response to the coups, ECOWAS suspended all three countries, imposing heavy sanctions on Niger and Mali.
1. What the NGOs think of ECOWAS, Nigeria
But NGOs have said that what the three countries did is the best response to ECOWAS and Nigeria who don’t seem to understand it was time to engage the military junta productively.
“The citizens are in support of the kind of leadership they have and you don’t just start bombing them,” the NGOs said through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani.
Rafsanjani said: “I think Nigeria is the biggest loser because Nigeria needs the support of these West African countries for its regional leadership.
“Nigeria failed to create a better way forward. You don’t have to be strict on an issue; you have no legal or constitutional binding power to push these leaders out.”
He added: “All you would have done is to push for the return of the civilian regime in these countries as soon as possible.
“Now that these countries have walked out of ECOWAS, it is Nigeria who largely will lose because we need Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso at both regional and international levels to support Nigeria in its quest for a leadership position in the Security Council.”
2. Why Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso Withdraw From ECOWAS
According to Rafsanjani, Nigeria needs the support of these countries.
“Nigeria needs the support of its neighbors who are supposed to give them the kind of support needed for a seat at the security council. If you are in this kind of relationship with them, then definitely you are losing.
“So, these countries have found out that they don’t need ECOWAS to survive. They have been out of ECOWAS for several months and life goes on.
“Their condition has not worsened without ECOWAS so they can as well get out of that union, that marriage of inconvenience because ECOWAS has not helped them in times of dealing with poverty, insecurity, and infrastructure deficit.
“So, they did not see any value or the need to remain in ECOWAS. ECOWAS and the British government have overplayed this, and they are now the losers sadly,” the NGOs added.
The decision of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to withdraw from ECOWAS has far-reaching implications for the region and Nigeria, pundits say.
It highlights the failures of ECOWAS in addressing the leadership crises and the lack of support from Nigeria.
The NGOs emphasized that the citizens of these countries are in support of their current leadership and believe that military intervention is not the solution. They argue that bombing these nations will only exacerbate the situation and undermine the stability of the region.
By failing to find a constructive way forward and insisting on the return of civilian regimes, Nigeria has alienated these countries and lost their support. This has significant implications for Nigeria’s regional leadership aspirations, particularly in the context of the Security Council.
Analysts insisted that Nigeria needs the support of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to strengthen its position at both regional and international levels.
They argued that without their backing, the Nigeria’s chances of securing a leadership position in the Security Council are diminished.
Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have insisted that the decision to withdraw from ECOWAS is a sovereign one, reflecting their dissatisfaction with the union’s response to their unique circumstances.
“It is a clear message that they no longer see ECOWAS as beneficial
or necessary for their development and security,” an analyst, Bala Zakari said.
