Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) convened for a summit addressing the regional crisis arising from coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger since 2020, coupled with recent attempted coups. ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray disclosed plans for a committee from Benin, Togo, and Sierra Leone to engage with the Niger regime’s CNSP leadership to determine progress toward a short transition and conditions for lifting sanctions.
Touray, during the summit’s conclusion, stated, “Based on the outcomes of the engagement by the committee of heads of state with the CNSP, the authority will progressively ease the sanctions imposed on Niger.” He emphasized that if the CNSP fails to comply with the committee’s outcomes, ECOWAS will maintain all sanctions.
The spotlight has been on Niger’s recent coup in July, prompting ECOWAS to impose stringent sanctions. Talks with the Niamey regime, seeking President Mohamed Bazoum’s immediate return, have stalled. While ECOWAS acknowledges the humanitarian situation in Niger, it accuses Niamey’s rulers of impeding aid flow. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, the current ECOWAS chair, and US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee discussed ways to support Niger’s return to democratic rule and Sahel security.
The summit also addressed delayed transitions to civilian rule and elections in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. Tinubu called for engaging countries under military rule based on realistic and short transition plans. ECOWAS announced the lifting of travel restrictions on leaders from countries in transition to facilitate negotiations.
Nigeria recently proposed freeing Bazoum to initiate talks on lifting sanctions, a suggestion rejected by Niger’s military leaders. Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe has been asked to mediate. Despite leaving open the option of military intervention in Niger, analysts consider it increasingly unlikely. The region’s military regimes, facing jihadist violence, have formed an “Alliance of Sahel States,” drawing concern from ECOWAS about a diversion from the pursuit of democracy and good governance.
Recent events in Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau, with coup attempts and violence, were also discussed during the summit, emphasizing the broader challenges facing the ECOWAS region.
Ref: AFP
