Former Nigerian Head of State and one of the founding fathers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Yakubu Gowon has called on the regional political and economic union to lift sanctions imposed on Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic.
In an open letter addressed to the Heads of State and the member states of ECOWAS, Yakubu Gowon expressed his concerns over the threat to the unity of the 15-nation bloc.
ECOWAS, established in 1975 with the primary goal of promoting economic integration among member states, has faced challenges in recent years, with military takeovers in Mali (2020, 2021), Burkina Faso (2022), and Niger (2023).
Following these, the ECOWAS countries imposed sanctions, blocking borders, halting financial transactions, and freezing assets—with the exception of Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger, which were suspended.
The affected countries, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, subsequently announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS on January 28, 2023.
The military leaders of these countries declared their exit, alleging that ECOWAS had become a threat to its member states.
In response to these developments, Yakubu Gowon presented an open letter to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, during a press conference in Abuja.
Gowon expressed sadness at the potential disunity within ECOWAS.
“It saddens me to learn that ECOWAS is threatened with disunity following the announcement by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, three important Member States, of their intention to leave the Community,” Gowon stated.
The former Nigerian leader urged ECOWAS authorities to promptly consider the lifting of all sanctions imposed on Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger.
He appealed to the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, including leaders of the mentioned countries, to set aside their differences and work towards the peace, stability, and prosperity of the sub-region.