By Emmanuel Nduka
Leaders of Junta-led Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger will participate at the West African Economic Summit (WAES) 2025 slated to hold in Abuja, Nigeria from June 20 – 21.
Confirming this to journalists at a briefing in Abuja on Monday, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar said President Bola Tinubu had already extended invitations to Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Mali’s Colonel Assimi Goïta, and General Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger.
Tuggar disclosed that he recently attended a “General Conference” on behalf of President Tinubu, where he “interacted with the ministers of foreign affairs of the three countries and presented them with invitations”.
“And in addition to that, of course, Mr. President has extended invitations to their heads of state, so they are invited. They’re very welcome. That’s why it’s the West Africa Economic Summit. They are part and parcel of West Africa, even if they’ve left ECOWAS. They are still part of West Africa, and they are our neighbors,” Tuggar clarified.
Themed: “West Africa Economic Summit: Unlocking Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Region,” WAES 2025 will convene Heads of State, Ministers, private sector leaders, development partners, and youth innovators from across West Africa and beyond, to a strategic platform aimed at shaping the economic future of the West African sub-region.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have since officially withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS. Their decision was finalized on January 29 this year, following a year-long notice period that began in January 2024 .
In response to their withdrawal, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger established the Alliance of Sahel States, AES on July 6, 2024.
ECOWAS has acknowledged the withdrawal and continues to recognize the ECOWAS passports and identity cards of citizens from these countries, allowing them to enjoy visa-free movement and residence rights within the bloc.
However, the departure has significantly reduced ECOWAS’s population by 76 million and altered its geographical landscape.
