Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger resume talks with ECOWAS on cooperation framework

These talks represent the first structured diplomatic engagement between ECOWAS and the three departing states since their January 2025 exit, affecting regional trade flows, security cooperation on counterterrorism, and cross-border mobility across West Africa. The outcome will determine whether these strategically important countries can normalize relations with the bloc, or whether economic fragmentation, intelligence-sharing gaps, and competitive security arrangements persist—directly impacting Nigeria's regional influence, supply chain routes, and transnational security operations in the Sahel.