The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Alieu Touray has said the community has agreed to maintain the status quo on free movement of persons and trade with Burkina-Faso, Mali and the Niger Republic.
The three countries officially withdrew from the regional body in January 2025 due to a fallout occasioned by the undemocratic change of government in the three countries.
The three states have since set up the Alliance of Sahel States, with their own common travel document.
However, Touray in his address on Tuesday at the joint project launch of four (4) initiatives aimed at enhancing trade in the West Africa region, disclosed that despite their withdrawal and launch of Alliance of Sahel States, ECOWAS agreed to still allow for free movement of persons and goods and also trade until a new agreement is in place.
He noted that ECOWAS is more concerned about the welfare of the citizens.
The initiative is in conjunction with UNIDO, GIZ, the EU, the German and Spanish governments, Expertise France, AECID, FIAP, and ITC.
Flagging off the launch, Touray said the agreement was reached at its meeting in Accra, Ghana, in April 2025.
He said, “We have agreed that until we adopt a new agreement, we will maintain the status quo in all areas.
“Status quo in the area of trade, status quo in the area of free movement.
“And we will also continue to explore avenues of collaboration in the area of peace and security.”
He stressed that though ECOWAS has lost green members, “but ECOWAS has always been 400 million people. And the 400 million people will continue to enjoy free movement within this sub-region. And trade will continue within a space of 400 million. Excellencies, this is the situation as I speak.
“Until there is a new agreement, we maintain the status quo. Of course, the institutional framework, if I look at it, changes nothing for the ordinary person.
“The whole objective is to ensure that the people of West Africa continue to benefit from the fruits of regional integration that has been built over the past 50 years,” he said.
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