The government of Russia has asserted that the decision by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was based on their sovereign rights, insisting that it has no hand in the decision of the trio.
Russia’s reaction comes after a former Nigeria’s Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, alleged in an interview with a television station on Monday that the Russian Federation encouraged the three countries of the Sahel to quit the West African regional bloc in order to undermine the United States and its allies in West Africa.
The renowned Nigerian diplomat had said: “I think Russia is emboldening these three countries to break up ECOWAS as part of the attempt to weaken what one will call the western influence in this part of the world. And yet, Russia has not shown that it has the capability to help these three countries to combat the jihadists, the Tuareqs, the ISIS who are running wild in the Sahel.”
Akinyemi linked the decision to quit ECOWAS by the three countries under military rule to a high diplomatic game, adding that it was significant that the withdrawal statement came after the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, left Nigeria.
But, a statement issued on Thursday by the Press Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Abuja, Yuri Paramanov, a copy of which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York, said the Russian Federation operates within the framework of diplomatic norms and respects the sovereignty of all nations including those within the ECOWAS region.
It said, “Sovereign states have the prerogative to determine their foreign policies and alliances independently; and Russia respects this fundamental principle. The Embassy reaffirms its commitment to fostering constructive engagement and cooperation with ECOWAS and its member states based on mutual respect and shared interests. We forge ties with all the states of ECOWAS, no matter what is their political course or tendencies.
“As for the publication, we remain open to dialogue and cooperation to address any concerns and misconceptions regarding Russia’s role in regional affairs.”
Africa Today News, New York had earlier on Sunday reported that the military regimes in Mali, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso announced the immediate withdrawal of their membership from the ECOWAS in protest to their suspension from the regional bloc.
The leaders of the three West African countries issued a statement on Sunday, saying it was their “sovereign decision” to leave the ECOWAS “without delay”.
Struggling with jihadist violence and poverty, the regimes have had tense ties with ECOWAS since coups took place in Niger on July 26, 2023, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Mali in 2020. All three were suspended from ECOWAS, with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions.