ABUJA, Nigeria

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, is facing instability as some member countries decided Jan. 28 to leave the bloc.

Established for the unity, peace and stability of West African countries, ECOWAS is back in the spotlight due to decisions to withdraw from the bloc by Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, which are located in the Sahel region and share a common border.

The last withdrawal from ECOWAS was in 2000 when Mauritania left to join the Arab Maghreb Union.

ECOWAS is accused of being under the "influence of foreign powers" and "betraying its principles" and it posed a "threat" to the three landlocked countries, according to a joint statement by the trio of nations.

ECOWAS formed for unity, economic cooperation

Established in Lagos, Nigeria, on May 28, 1975, ECOWAS had a revised version of its treaty adopted and signed on July 24, 1993 in Benin.

Headquartered in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, ECOWAS was established to create a significant trade bloc among member states, promoting collective unity, self-sufficiency and enhancing economic cooperation.

The regional organization consists of 15 countries in the western part of the continent, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

Among them, eight speak French, five speak English and the remaining two speak Portuguese.

For years, ECOWAS has been the leading political authority in the region, collaborating with members to address challenges in politics, economy and security.

One year notice required to withdraw from ECOWAS

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso's recent announcements that they would soon withdraw from the bloc have raised questions about the community's future.

Every ECOWAS member has the right to leave but there is a requirement to wait one year before formally leaving.

According to the ECOWAS internal regulations, any member wishing to withdraw must formally notify the executive secretariat in writing and inform other member states.

Even after one year from the notification date, a state seeking to withdraw must fulfill ECOWAS agreement obligations until its membership officially ends.

Departing country loses common passport, duty-free trade rights

Citizens of ECOWAS countries, playing a crucial role in facilitating dialogue and cooperation among member states, use a common passport that enables visa-free travel among member countries.

The country withdrawing not only loses the right to a common passport but remains outside the free trade zone established for duty-free trade among member states.