Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Christopher Musa, on Wednesday charged Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, and Mali to rescind their decision to quit the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.

Former diplomats on Thursday warned that the withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States could undermine regional stability, potentially escalating insurgency and extremism in the Sahel.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has urged its member states not to close their doors to Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, which recently exited the bloc .