From the South, we Head W,
where the regional bloc ECO was threatened by the exit
of three Kuhit nations of Burkina Faso,
Mali and Niger tried to win back the trust of
the junta leaders
by convening a special summit in
Nigeria's capital of Abuja. So far,
sanctions against Guinea and Niger have been lifted and the
member states are extending an olive branch to the military
commanders in the region,
not to put their people in jeopardy.
Will dialogue prevail? That answer only lies with the junta
regimes.
Here's a report.
It was a gathering convened in 1/2 in Abuja,
Nigeria, heads of state from the Economic Community of West
African States.
ECOWAS arrived in the Nigerian capital for an extraordinary summit
to discuss the situation in Niger that has been under
sanctions for seven months.
After various meetings, the regional bloc made a resolution announcing
the lifting of travel and economic sanctions on Niger.
The move was aimed at reversing last year's coup in
the country.
In a new push for dialogue,
the block also renewed calls on three junta LED nations
to reverse their decisions to quit the regional block.
Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between aqueous member
States
and Asia
is to be lifted. This decision
is based on humanitarian considerations,
especially as we are in the month of length
and as we prepare for the
holy month of Ramadan. Elite soldiers had toppled
Niger's democratically elected president Muhammad Bazoom,
on July 26th last year.
Neighbouring countries immediately shut their borders and Niger lost
70% of its power as Nigeria cut off its electricity
supply.
West African countries suspended financial and commercial transactions.
Niger's assets and external banks were frozen as millions of
dollars in aid was withheld.
The sanctions, however, emboldened the junta in Niger and two
other Kuwait countries of Mali and Burkina Faso.
All three formed an alliance and announced last month that
they have quit the 15 member block.
Analysts called the withdrawal the blocks biggest crisis since it
was formed in
1975.
None of the conditions that ECOWAS earlier put for the
lifting of the sanctions have been met.
This includes ECOWAS request for releasing Niger's deposed president,
as well as a short timeline for the junta to
return power to the civilians.
The complexity of the issues at hand
necessitate A comprehensive and collaborative approach.
Accordingly, it is
incumbent upon
also to engage in constructive dialogue,
exercise prudent judgement
and work collectively towards finding and learning solution
that will lead to a sustainable
peace, security as well as political stability
in our region. The bloc also invited the junta LED
countries officials to technical and consultative meetings of ECOWAS and
old security related meetings.
This marked a major shift from its usual tradition of
blocking KU hit countries from major meetings.
The summit came at a critical time when the 49
year old bloc's future is under threat.
The bloc is struggling with possible disintegration and a recent
surge in coups,
fuelled by discontent with elected governments whose citizens rarely benefit
from mineral resources.
ECOWAS has emerged as West Africa's top political and economic
authority,
but it has struggled to resolve the region's most pressing
challenge,
the Sahil. This is a vast and added expanse South
of the Sahara Desert that stretches across several W African
countries.
The Sahir region faces growing violence from Islamist extremists and
rebels that in turn has caused soldiers to depose elected
governments.
The 9 coups in western Central Africa since 2020 have
followed a similar pattern.
Coup leaders have accused governments of failing to provide security
and good governance.
Most of the Kuhit countries are also among the poorest
and least developed in the World
Bureau report. Beyond World is 1.
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