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Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali withdraw from ECOWAS

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Months after news of a possible political and economic alliance broke, three West African junta-led states—Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso—have announced their withdrawal from the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), immediately.

According to a joint statement read out on Niger national television on Sunday afternoon, the leaders of the three countries, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Colonel Assimi Goïta, and Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, said, “in the face of history and responding to the expectations, concerns, and aspirations of their populations, decide in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States.”

The group noted that “after 49 years, the valiant peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger regretfully and with great disappointment observe that the (ECOWAS) organization has drifted from the ideals of its founding fathers and the spirit of Pan-Africanism,” as conveyed by Colonel Amadou Abdramane, Niger junta spokesman, in the statement.

“The organization notably failed to assist these states in their existential fight against terrorism and insecurity,” Abdramane added.

The three, which have dubbed their new union ‘the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)’, would become even more isolated after several sanctions following their departure from the fifteen-member regional body. There have also been talks around the adoption of a single, unifying currency amongst them.

The region has witnessed five coups in the last three years, and the World Bank recently warned that the latest coup, which took place in Niger, may complicate issues around Nigeria and other West African nations’ food markets.

 

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Nigeria’s Tinubu to visit South Africa for bilateral talks

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In order to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu will leave France on Monday for Cape Town, South Africa.

 

A ministerial meeting is slated for December 2, 2024, in the South African Parliament Building in Cape Town, and will be followed by the presidential Bi-National Commission on Tuesday, December 3.

 

In a statement issued on Sunday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated that Tinubu and Ramaphosa will have in-depth talks on issues of mutual interest on a bilateral, regional, and global level.

 

“Building on the commitments from their meeting on June 20, 2024, in Johannesburg, shortly after President Ramaphosa’s inauguration for a second term in office, the two leaders will review the progress made since the 10th session of the BNC held in Abuja from November 29 to December 1, 2021.

 

“The 11th session of the BNC will feature deliberations across eight working groups, each focusing on a specific area of mutual interest. These include political consultations, consular and migration, banking and finance, defence and security, manufacturing, social sector, mines and energy, and trade and investments.

 

“At the high-level meeting, officials of both countries will sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements,” Onanuga said.

 

 

Founded in 1999, the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission seeks to deepen the two countries’ friendship and collaboration. The inaugural Heads of State session took place in Pretoria in October 2019.

 

The BNC offers a forum for maintaining high-level discussions and encouraging cooperation in vital fields including trade, economic growth, security, and diplomacy.

 

“This year’s meeting is particularly significant as it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Commission, a testament to the enduring friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa. President Tinubu will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising state governors, ministers, and senior government officials. He will return to the country after the BNC meeting,” Onanuga added.

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Mauritius PM wants independent review of UK-Chagos Islands deal

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to review an October political agreement that gives Mauritius sovereignty of the Chagos Islands while securing a 99-year lease on the base.

On Thursday, the British government expressed confidence that the deal to secure the future of a U.S.-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia would be ratified.

Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said that he had requested an independent review of a confidential draft agreement with Britain regarding the Chagos Islands.

The agreement still has to be ratified by both parties. The arrangement has been questioned by Ramgoolam, who won an election last month. He informed lawmakers on Thursday that the results of the study will be available for his new cabinet to take into account.

The foreign ministry of Britain chose not to react. Earlier this week, British Foreign Minister David Lammy expressed his confidence that the deal would be completed, noting that the Pentagon, State Department, and U.S. intelligence agencies had all embraced it.

According to him, Britain was pleased to provide the new Mauritius administration some time to review the specifics.

When the agreement was announced, U.S. President Joe Biden backed it, but after Donald Trump takes office in January, the next government may contest it.

Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for secretary of state, has stated that the agreement presents a major risk to American security as it gives the island, which is a key base utilised by American warships and long-range bombers, to a Chinese ally.

London kept control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s, and in the 1970s, it forcefully uprooted up to 2,000 inhabitants to create room for the base.

Following years of occasionally contentious discussions, Britain announced last month that it will turn over the islands. Many of the exiled Chagossians, however, claim they were not part of the talks and are unable to support it.

According to Olivier Bancoult of the Chagos Refugees Group, which works to protect Chagossians’ rights, he hopes the assessment will be completed as soon as possible.

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