Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Formally Announce ECOWAS Withdrawal

The three AES states jointly announce formal withdrawal from ECOWAS, effective January 2025. The exit severs the trio from ECOWAS's free movement zone, common tariff, and financial safety nets. ECOWAS opens mediation channels but acknowledges limited leverage. The withdrawal deepens the AES's collective alignment with Russia, China, and an explicitly anti-Western regional bloc identity.