Burkina Faso Officially Informs ECOWAS of Departure

A notification obtained by Reuters on Tuesday indicated that "Burkina Faso has officially informed the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of its decision to leave the bloc." The notification was submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Burkina Faso to the ECOWAS Commission on Monday, January 29. The Foreign Ministries of Mali and Niger also notified the ECOWAS Commission of their decisions to exit the bloc in separate notices on the same day. The decision of the three countries to withdraw from ECOWAS, announced in a joint statement broadcast by their national television channels on Sunday, represents a setback for the regional integration efforts pursued by the organization after suspending the memberships of the three countries following coups.