Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso's exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is "irreversible", Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop of Mali reiterated on Monday.

"Our heads of state were very clear in Niamey when they said the withdrawal of the three countries from ECOWAS is irrevocable and was done without delay, and from now on we must stop looking in the rear-view mirror," Diop said.

Earlier this year, the military chiefs of the Sahel states separated from the ECOWAS due to their suspicion of France manipulating the bloc and lacking efforts to combat terrorism, resulting in the establishment of their own confederation on Saturday.

ECOWAS heads of state met in Abuja on Sunday, appointing the presidents of Senegal and Togo as dialogue mediators with the three Sahel states.

The Mali Foreign Minister expressed his country's openness to cooperate with ECOWAS on state-owned broadcaster ORTM Monday.

Mali remains "open to working with our neighbours and other organisations with which we share this space," Diop said, reiterating that the Sahel's establishment of confederation "is not reversible."

"The vision is to work towards a federation of the three states," Diop stated, adding that the confederation was only the first phase of the process.

The minister spoke out against the potential implementation of visas for citizens of the three countries traveling within ECOWAS, stating that if visas are re-introduced "we will be proven right in the sense that some ECOWAS officials have not abandoned the old methods of frightening and blackmailing people."

In "an integration process, there are gains and losses for everyone, but we must work to minimise the impact on our populations," Diop added.

Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali sign treaty to become confederation

The military-led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger convened their first joint summit on Saturday in Niamey, the capital of Niger. During this historic meeting, they announced the formation of a confederation of the three Sahel states.

In their inaugural summit since coming to power, the leaders adopted a joint statement outlining a treaty to establish the confederation.

“This summit marks a decisive step for the future of our common space. Together, we will consolidate the foundations of our true independence, a guarantee of true peace and sustainable development through the creation of the 'Alliance of Sahel States' Confederation,’" Capt. Ibrahim Traore, the leader of Burkina Faso, wrote on X.

The summit appears to signal a departure from ECOWAS. Tensions between the Sahel nations and ECOWAS escalated after Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani seized power from the elected President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup in Niger last July. In response, ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Niger and threatened intervention, further straining relations.

“The AES (Alliance of Sahel States) is full of enormous natural potential which, if properly exploited, will guarantee a better future for the people of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso," said Traore.

"Our people have irrevocably turned their backs on ECOWAS," stated Tiani to his fellow Sahel leaders.