Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso Announce Exit from ECOWAS

A joint statement broadcast by Niger's official television announced that Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have declared their immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday. The three countries are under military rule. The spokesman for the military council in Niger, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, stated in the announcement: "After 49 years, the peoples of the brave Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger sadly and with great disappointment see that ECOWAS has deviated from the ideals of its founding fathers and the spirit of African unity." Abdramane added, "The organization has clearly not assisted these countries in their existential fight against terrorism and insecurity."