- The West African regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), announced a firm stance against disruptions to civilian governance following recent unrest in the region.
At a bi-annual summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, on Sunday, ECOWAS decided to impose targeted sanctions on any individuals or groups found to be obstructing Guinea-Bissau’s return to civilian rule after the military takeover last month.
The meeting, which gathered presidents from across the region, was dominated by discussions concerning two recent challenges to democracy: the successful coup in Guinea-Bissau and a recent failed putsch in Benin.
ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray stated that the bloc’s peacekeeping force (ECOMIB), which has been deployed in coup-prone Guinea-Bissau since 2022, has been authorized to provide protection to the nation’s political leaders and institutions.
The twin disruptions—in Guinea-Bissau last month and the attempted takeover in Benin a week prior—have greatly concerned ECOWAS, which issued a strong condemnation of both events during the summit.
In response to the failed coup in Benin, Nigeria deployed fighter jets and troops, supported by soldiers from Ivory Coast, to help secure the civilian government. ECOWAS also confirmed that more soldiers are expected to arrive from Ghana and Sierra Leone.
This new wave of instability follows a string of earlier coups between 2020 and 2023 in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger, all of which remain under military control.
Though the summit was scheduled before the two most recent coup attempts, they were a major focus of the agenda, alongside the upcoming December 28 elections in Guinea.
Despite the fact that Guinea’s junta leader, Mamady Doumbouya, is running for office after an earlier promise not to, and a prominent opposition figure (former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo) has been barred from the polls, Touray characterized Guinea’s upcoming vote as significant progress in the political transition process. When questioned about the vote’s credibility, Touray responded that ECOWAS hopes the elections will be credible, transparent and fair.
Security in the Sahel region was also a key discussion point, particularly concerning the spread of jihadist insurgencies across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. These three junta-led nations recently withdrew from ECOWAS to form their own group, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
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Last week, Touray called for dialogue with the AES to address shared security challenges as the conflict moves southward. Sierra Leone President Julius Bio, the current ECOWAS chairman, stressed the necessity of cooperation, noting that No border can insulate us from violence.
The heads of state for Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, whose memberships are suspended following the military takeovers, did not attend the summit. President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Beyond military takeovers, the region is also struggling with democratic backsliding in civilian governments, highlighted by the fact that Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara was elected to a fourth term in October, with his main rivals barred from participating.
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