Despite Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso expressing their intention to exit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the organization reserved seats for their leaders at its 65th Ordinary Session held in Abuja on Sunday, July 7, 2024. However, these seats remained vacant as the leaders from these three countries did not attend the summit.
This absence underscored the ongoing tension between ECOWAS and the three Sahel nations, which announced their decision to leave the bloc in January 2024. The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger convened in Niamey, Niger’s capital, a day before the ECOWAS meeting to hold the inaugural summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The AES was formed to promote economic and security cooperation among the three countries following their departure from ECOWAS, criticizing the regional body for deviating from its core responsibilities.
At the ECOWAS summit, President Bola Tinubu was re-elected as the chairman of the Community for a second consecutive year. Initially elected during the 63rd Ordinary Session in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, in 2023, Tinubu’s new term will begin after his current tenure ends on July 9, 2024.