Ecowas react as Alliance of Sahel States launch new passport

Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) don tok say di exit of three kontris as member states don take effect on Wednesday 29 January 2025.

One year ago Burkina Faso, di Republic of Mali, and Republic of Niger announce dia exit from di bloc.

Ecowas for dia announcement tok say dem go keep di doors open sake of spirit of regional solidarity.

But di move by di Sahel State kontries to launch dia own common passport mean say to go back no too sure.

Ecowas further tok say di arrangements go dey in place until leaders of di join-bodi go fully determine how future engagements wit di three kontries go be.

Di Commission say structure don dey ground to arrange tok-tok about di wey tins go be now wit kontries one by one.

Dem say all dis arrangement dey key so confusion and disturb no go dey for lives and businesses of pipo during di transition period.

Di three kontris bin go ahead to form one Sahel state. Military-led Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, wey form di three Sahel neighbours officially comot di West Africa regional bloc on Wednesday.

Dia plan na to issue new travel passport wey go tally wit dia withdrawal from Ecowas.

Di junta leaders wey now dey under di platform of di Alliance of Sahel State (AES) bin tok say di move na part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between Member States.

According to tori pipo, di new passport dey expected to become functional from Wednesday 29 January and go replace di Ecowas passport wey citizens of di three kontries.

Di Sahel authorities dey encourage pipo to register for di new passport, although dem add say di pipo Ecowas passports go remain valid until di day e expire.

On Tuesday 28 January, hundreds of pro-juntas' demonstrators for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger for one rally bin enta streets to show support to di decision to comot di regional bloc.

For Niger, members of di military bin lead plenti pipo wey reach thousands regime to gather around one square for di capital Niamey.

Dem kontinu dia waka towards di national assembly wit chants of unfriendly slogans to French President Emmanuel Macron and oda leaders for di region.

Niger don put strain for dia relationship wit neighbouring kontries like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Benin.

Sometin similar also happun for Burkina Faso, wia di Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo, members of di govment and thousands odas bin gather for Ouagadougou Nation square to rally in support of di development.

No rally bin hold for Mali but development still dey expected acress di regions.

Dis kontries exit na big deal for Ecowas, as di bloc go need deep reassessment of im future wey appear to dey uncertain.

Ecowas say di Sahel states get six month grace period wey go run till July, to reconsider dia positions, in case dem decide to dey readmitted.

Wetin go happun now as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso exit from Ecowas take effect?

Make we take you back to how di exit of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from Ecowas begin.

E bin start wen di Ecowas Authority of Heads of State and Government - wey Nigeria President Bola Tinubu be di Chairman - threaten to use military force to comot di military junta wey take ova power from Niger Republic for 2023.

Na afta dat di three kontris exit and dem officially announce di new alliance.

Dem redesign dia passport and comot di Ecowas logo, recently, although dem announce visa-free travel and residency rights to citizens of Ecowas kontris but we neva sabi how e go be now, wen di exit don take effect.

Dem bin tok say di decision na in di spirit of friendship, and to strengthen centuries-old ties among African pipo.

Political sabi pipo dey worry say travel restrictions go further weaken regional integration, worsen di ease of doing business, and slow economic development if e dey effective.

Now, di three kontris go lose di duty-free trade benefits among member states wey Ecowas members dey enjoy.

Travel fit become difficult for oda West Africans wey go visit di Sahel kontries.

Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger dey landlocked wit no access to di sea, and dis go make dem dependent on dia coastal neighbours including Togo, Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria for international trade.

According to Ecowas Trade Information Systems (ECOTIS), for 2022, Mali exports total $3.91 billion, wit imports of $6.45 billion, while Burkina Faso export na $4.55 billion, and import na $5.63 billion. Niger record $446.14 million in exports and $3.79 billion in imports.

For all dis trades to kontinu, di Sahel kontries go require access to ports of oda West African kontries, wey go attract higher costs – in tariffs and duties – if dem stop to be Ecowas members.

Ecowas passport

Na for December 2000 dem introduce di Ecowas passport, and e provide di den fifteen member kontries wit visa-free movements within di region and function as international travel document.

Ecowas citizens get di right to live within member kontri for up to three months, but dis fit change for those wey go visit kontries wey no longer be part of di regional bloc.

Also, wit intermarriages bin dey common especially around border areas.

Example na between Nigeria and Niger, Ghana and Burkina Faso, and odas.

Some family members wey wan visit relatives for Sahel kontries go now need visas to fit enta and e go be so for di Sahel states pipo too.

Dis na serious mata as e go further make weak regional integration.

Also business, economic development, and di continental free trade agreement go dey affected.