The Rupture of the Economic Community of West African States

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and have created a new regional body, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This is because of sanctions imposed on them, and the ECOWAS threat of the use of force to reinstate the constitutionally elected government of Niger. Renouncing membership exposes flaws in the ECOWAS treaty system. ECOWAS’ expansion of its powers under its Revised Treaty, and its turn towards protection of democracy and constitutionalism among its member states, is erected on weak foundations. These fragile foundations help explain the ease of withdrawal as ECOWAS does not have the financial power to induce them to remain as members. Coupled with this is the strong undercurrent of post-colonial nationalism in Africa which seeks to strengthen existing states instead of submerging them in the framework of a ‘superstate’.