Uncertain Future as Three Junta-Led West African Nations Quit Regional Bloc

The head of head of Niger's military government General Abdourahamane Tiani (C), Malian Colonel Assimi Goita (3rd R) and Burkina Faso's Captain Ibrahim Traore (2nd R) arrive in Niamey on July 6, 2024. The military leaders ruling Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger entered a new "confederation" on July 6, 2024. AFP

Three West African junta-led nations of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have officially withdrawn from the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The exit of the three Sahelian nations came one year after they formally notified the regional group of their desire to withdraw, a time the bloc demanded the restoration of democratic rule in Niger following a military coup that marked the sixth military takeover in three years in West Africa.