The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will convene an Extraordinary Council meeting on April 22 to discuss the 0.5% import levy imposed by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) on goods from ECOWAS member nations.
“The ECOWAS will have an Extraordinary Council on the 22nd of April. All these issues will be discussed,” said Joel Ahofodji, Head of Communication for the ECOWAS Commission.
The AES, comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, introduced the levy to generate revenue. However, this move contradicts ECOWAS’s goal of promoting free movement of goods among its members.
The strained relations between ECOWAS and the three countries began when they accused ECOWAS of not supporting them in their fight against terrorism and imposing sanctions that negatively affected their populations. Despite the sanctions being withdrawn, the countries remained firm in their decision to exit the bloc.
In response, ECOWAS issued guidelines to mitigate disruptions, including provisions for duty-free trade, visa-free movement, and residence. ECOWAS has expressed willingness to reopen discussions if the AES countries wish to rejoin the bloc in the future.