West Africa's regional bloc known as ECOWAS is facing significant challenges after three junta-led countries formally quit the group, forming their own alliance and weakening the bloc's standing and political authority.
Although ECOWAS has said it would leave the doors open for the three nations to continue to enjoy benefits as other bloc members do, the three junta-led countries are launching their own travel documents for their citizens.
Relations between ECOWAS and the coup-hit Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso began to deteriorate after the bloc imposed stringent sanctions on Niger to pressure its military to reverse the coup it had staged.
The withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from the bloc — now left with 12 member countries — was the culmination of a yearlong period of talks and diplomatic efforts aimed at trying to get them to reverse their decision, announced in January 2024.
After leaving ECOWAS, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso created their own alliance known as the Alliance of Sahel States, or AES, named after the vast southern fringe of the Sahara Desert region.
