Analysts in West Africa are reacting to the sudden exit of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the regional economic bloc ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, and are raising security concerns. They said the regional bloc — under the influence of foreign powers — betrayed its founding principles and failed to aid its member states in their fight against terrorism and insecurity. But soon after the announcement, ECOWAS said it had yet to receive an official notice from the member states. Idayat Hassan, a senior associate in the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said there's a lesson for the regional bloc. Gaskia said the decision to operate outside the regional bloc will not be easy and could lead to more challenges.

Source: Ethiopian News January 30, 2024 17:31 UTC