West African leaders convened on Sunday to address the deepening crisis in the region, grappling with the fallout of four countries falling under military rule and escalating threats stemming from Sahel jihadist conflicts.
Since 2020, coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger have rocked the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Recent weeks have witnessed Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau claiming attempted coups, further adding to the region’s turmoil.
With the French military withdrawal from the Sahel, concerns are mounting about the potential spread of conflicts southward toward Gulf of Guinea states like Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Ivory Coast.
“These military coups are not only based on fake narrative and false justifications; they are also a driver of insecurity in the region,” ECOWAS commission president Omar Touray said in a meeting before the summit.
The leaders of ECOWAS gathered in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, for a pivotal summit, focusing on discussions regarding the delayed return to civilian rule in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger.
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, currently chairing ECOWAS, presides over the summit, joined by US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee. Their agenda includes deliberations on supporting Niger’s transition back to democracy and bolstering Sahel security.
Niger, an essential ally in combating Sahel militants, has urged French troops to depart, while the US maintains a military presence in the country.
ECOWAS has imposed stringent economic sanctions on Niger’s military regime following the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum in July. The bloc demands Bazoum’s immediate reinstatement, yet the junta continues to detain him, citing a potential three-year timeline for the return to civilian rule.
Nigeria recently proposed Niger’s regime release Bazoum for travel to a third country as a step toward dialogue on lifting sanctions. However, Niger’s military leaders rebuffed this proposal and solicited Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe to mediate.
Before the ECOWAS meeting, Niger’s military leader General Abdourahamane Tiani visited Togo, accompanied by some ministers, in a bid for diplomatic engagement.
Despite leaving the option of military intervention on the table, ECOWAS’ inclination toward such action seems increasingly improbable, given the complex situation.
Transitions to democracy and election processes remain stalled or uncertain in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. The departure of French troops led military regimes in Niger, Mali, and Burkina to bolster their positions and form an Alliance of Sahel States amid their struggle against jihadist violence.
Last month, armed assailants staged attacks on military installations, prisons, and police stations in Sierra Leone, resulting in a government-termed coup attempt that claimed 21 lives. Guinea-Bissau also reported a foiled coup, witnessing clashes between the national guard and presidential guard special forces.
(AFP)
