Burkina Faso formally tells West African bloc ECOWAS it is leaving

Burkina Faso has formally notified the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of its decision to leave the bloc, a notice seen by Reuters on Tuesday showed.

The notice from Burkina Faso's foreign ministry to the ECOWAS Commission was dated Jan. 29. Mali and Niger's foreign ministries also informed the ECOWAS Commission of their decisions to leave the bloc in written notices dated Jan. 29.

The decision of the three countries to exit ECOWAS, announced in a simultaneous joint statement on their national television channels on Sunday, is a blow to the bloc's regional integration efforts after it suspended the three following coups. (Writing by Anait Miridzhanian Editing by Alexander Winning)