Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger confirm plan to form new confederation

Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso reportedly announce their intention to form a Tri-State Confederation

Military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger plan to proceed with the establishment of a confederation, the Malian foreign ministry said on Thursday, as the three countries deepen ties via an alliance that threatens broader West African integration.

As the three nations strengthen their alliance and put wider West African integration at risk, the foreign ministry of Mali announced on Thursday that the military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger intend to move forward with the formation of a confederation.

The military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger reportedly declared their departure from the West African organization ECOWAS on January 28.

The heads of the three Sahelian countries declared in a statement that they had made the “sovereign decision” to withdraw “without delay” from the Economic Community of West African States.

It was once more pledged on Monday by Abdourahamane Tchiani, the head of the military junta in Niger, that none of the three countries in the Sahel would rejoin the community.

Read: Burkina Faso, Mali, And Niger Continue To Be Members Of ECOWAS

According to reports, the three ministers of Burkina Faso reaffirmed their commitment to withdrawing from ECOWAS immediately and to carry on cooperating under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) agreement during a meeting held in the country's capital, Ouagadougou.

The Mali foreign ministry stated in an online post that they “reaffirmed their commitment to advancing resolutely in the process of implementing the AES and creating the Tri-State Confederation.”

The top officials from all three nations stated in November of last year that they would consider the possibility of establishing a monetary union. have expressed support for getting rid of the CFA franc, the common currency used in West Africa, to differing degrees. Every junta that had long-standing military ties to the former colonial power France has broken these ties, undermining France's influence in the Sahel and making it more difficult for the international community to combat extremists associated with the Islamic State and al Qaeda.