Ouagadougou: The Burkinabè head of state, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, assured Tuesday that his country’s exit from ECOWAS is ‘a path of no return’, AIB learned .

‘You should never make certain mistakes. […] Our itinerary is a path of no return. […] The chains that we are breaking are forever,’ President Ibrahim Traoré confided on Tuesday in an interview with journalist Alain Foka.

‘We took the time to observe, analyze the situation and convince ourselves of our strengths before deciding’ to leave ECOWAS, he added.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced on January 28, 2024 their immediate withdrawal from ECOWAS, criticizing the sub-regional institution for its unfair sanctions, its distance from its initial objectives and its subjugation to foreign powers. .

‘For more than a decade, the sister Republics of Mali and Niger have been at war against terrorism and in Burkina, almost a decade we have been at war. This organization which was supposed to create mutual aid, solidarity… we have never received from this
organization any soldier, no logistics, no compassion,’ explained President Ibrahim Traoré.

Regarding relations with other countries, the head of state wanted to be reassuring.

‘We are leaving but we remain pan-African. Anyone in Africa who wants to come to Burkina is welcome there.’

However, Captain Traoré says he knows what measures to take in a timely manner, if reciprocity is not applied.

The departure of ECOWAS having been confirmed, the Burkinabè head of state believes that the Alliance of Sahel States, which has brought together these three countries since September 2023, ‘is very viable’, given its numerous potential.

Source: Burkina Information Agency