The leaders of the three Sahel nations said it was a “sovereign decision” to leave the Economic Community of West African States “without delay.” Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, said Sunday they are leaving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) immediately.
All three countries, which were founding members of ECOWAS in 1975, are currently led by militaries that seized power from civilian leaders.
“After 49 years, the valiant peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger regretfully and with great disappointment observe that the (ECOWAS) organization has drifted from the ideals of its founding fathers and the spirit of Pan-Africanism,” Colonel Amadou Abdramane, Niger junta spokesman, said in a statement.
The three countries were suspended from ECOWAS following the coups, and relations between them and the regional bloc have deteriorated for months.
So while none of these countries primarily speak English (iirc) so the name will be different in French, I do find it Really Fuckin Funny that they proposed calling themselves the Alliance of Sahel States.