Atiku reacts to Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger withdrawal from ECOWAS

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

On Sunday, the juntas in Mali, Niger Republic, and Burkina Faso announced the withdrawal of their membership from ECOWAS in protest to their suspension from the regional bloc following coup d’etats in their countries.

Atiku in a statement on his X page (formerly Twitter) said the withdrawal is a matter of serious diplomatic meltdown.

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He said the country’s national security interest, especially the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and others must be kept in focus while appraising the situation. 

He tweeted: “Reports about the withdrawal of three countries from our sub-regional body, @ecowas_cedeao, is concerning. It is a matter of serious diplomatic meltdown. We must keep the country’s national security interest, especially the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and others in focus while we appraise the situation.”

Reacting to the development, ECOWAS said it has not received any direct formal notification from the three member states about their intention to quit. 

Reports about the withdrawal of three countries from our sub-regional body, @ecowas_cedeao, is concerning. It is a matter of serious diplomatic meltdown. We must keep the country’s national security interest, especially the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and…

— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) January 28, 2024