Di West African Military States don promise to give free-visa

Three West African states wey military leaders dey rule don announce visa-free travel and residency rights for dia citizens for di 15-member regional bloc Ecowas, ahead of di trio leaving di group.

Di leaders of di states – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger talk say di visa and residency decision dey taken in di spirit of friendship, and to strengthen centuries-old ties among African pipo.

Di trio plan to withdraw from Ecowas for January afta dem refuse di bloc’s demand to restore democratic rule.

Ecowas leaders wey meet for Naija on Sunday talk say dem respect di decision to withdraw but dem offer six-month grace period for dem to reconsider.

Di three Sahel countries fit dey readmitted to di bloc if dem decide to rejoin di community, na wetin communique from Ecowas note.

During di transitional period between 29 January and 29 July, 2025, negotiations wey Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Togo’s Faure Gnassingbé dey lead go continue.

So far di military juntas don refuse to remain for di bloc despite efforts to persuade dem.

Afta ministerial-level meeting on Friday for Niger’s capital, Niamey, di three states talk for joint statement say dia decision dey “irreversible”.

Fears dey say dia withdrawal fit be major blow to regional unity and efforts to boost economic and security cooperation.

For di opening of di summit, Ecowas commission head Omar Touray talk say dia “impending exit” dey “disheartening”, but e wan “commend di ongoing mediation efforts”, AFP news agency report.

Ecowas countries neva make any decisions yet on whether dem go allow citizens of di three Sahel states to live and work within di bloc.

For di meantime, di Ecowas Commission for Abuja don dey mandated to work out di modalities for future relations between di two blocs.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger be founding members of Ecowas for 1975.

With dia planned to depart, di bloc go lose 76 million of its 446 million pipo and more than half its total geographical land area.

Dis na di first division for Ecowas, with di three breakaway states wey wan form dia own bloc, di Alliance of Sahel States.

For di statement, di new alliance’s chairman, Mali’s military ruler Assimi Goïta talk say di right of Ecowas citizens to “enta, circulate, reside, establish and leave di territory” of di new bloc go dey maintained.

Dem dey see him statement as di signal to Ecowas leaders say Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger wan maintain good relations, even though dem dey quit di bloc.

Di three states don give notice to Ecowas for January 2023 say dem go withdraw in one year, meeting di timeline wey di bloc set for states wey decide to leave.

Relations between di bloc and di three countries don dey tense afta military coups take place for Niger for July, Burkina Faso for 2022 and Mali for 2020.

Ecowas condemn di coups, and suspend dia membership, hoping say dem go restore civilian rule.

But di coup leaders dig in dia heels, and don pivot towards Russia.

Dem accuse Ecowas of being too close to Western powers, and dey increasingly rely on Russia to fight armed jihadists wey dey wage insurgency for di region.

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