Junta Chiefs’ Divorce From ECOWAS Leaves Volatile Sahel in Limbo

The military leaders of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have left to form a new alliance amid a row over the 15-member bloc’s position on military takeovers.

The head of Niger's military government, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani (C), Malian Col. Assimi Goita (3rd R), and Burkinabé leader Capt. Ibrahim Traoré (2nd R) arrive ahead of the Confederation of Sahel States summit in Niamey, Niger, on July 6, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

YAOUNDE, Cameroon—Africa’s volatile Sahel region has been plunged into political uncertainty following a recent decision by the military rulers of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to form a breakaway union from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The military leaders of the three countries said on July 6 that they were “irrevocably” turning their backs on the 15-member West African bloc to form the Confederation of Sahel States.