Mali announced ten days ago (on November 28) its withdrawal from ECOWAS, jointly with Niger and Burkina Faso. A departure “with immediate effect” according to the official press release.
The regional organization, however, quickly recalled the community rules and the one-year deadline to which candidates for departure are subject. In a letter sent Tuesday, February 6 to the ECOWas Commission and made public this Wednesday, the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs argues legally.