Hommam Al Nassim 
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced on Thursday that Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso’s decision to withdraw from the group was hasty and did not meet the conditions for withdrawal.
ECOWAS Commission Chairman Omar Touray said in an opening speech at the Group’s Mediation and Security Council in the Nigerian capital Abuja: “The hasty decision taken by these countries did not follow the requirements set out in the ECOWAS protocol, including a one-year advance notice period before withdrawing.”
“More importantly, the three member states did not actually think about the implications of this decision on their citizens,” he added.
Senior government officials in these countries have refused to hold talks with the group on the issue, undermining any hopes of dialogue to resolve the crisis.
While Niger’s foreign ministry said the country was moving ahead with the withdrawal plan “without delay”, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop accused the regional group of bias and lack of steps on other countries where democracy is violated.
Last month, the three countries led by military councils announced the departure of the political and economic group, a blow to its unity, after the group pressured it to return to democracy.