ECOWAS WAS WARNED?

Perhaps this was Niger's final warning to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) before it, Burkina Faso and Niger pulled out the regional bloc.

After the July coup in Niger, which deposed then-President Mohamed Bazoum, ECOWAS imposed the strictest set of sanctions in its history against a member-state. ECOWAS, along with the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union, agreed to close their borders with Niger, suspend financial transactions, freeze the country’s assets in external banks and suspend financial assistance with regional development banks. The sanctions would be lifted if the coup regime reinstated Bazoum.

The sanctions, indeed, have caused hardship in Niger. However, surrounding countries also experienced adverse boomerang effects. Livelihoods were disrupted in the formal and informal economies straddling Niger's 1,608-kilometre (999-mile) border with Nigeria. Sanctions also exacerbated humanitarian crises.

The three states seemed unbothered, however, as they went on to establish a mutual defence pact in the form of the Alliance of Sahel States on 16 September.

Taking a look at this clip from December, do you think ECOWAS got a fair warning of the three states' 28 January announcement to exit the regional bloc?