The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been deploying old tools to tackle an unprecedented crisis in West Africa, Former Executive Director of the West African Network for Peace Building (WANEP) Emmanuel Bombande has noted.
He said this after observing that West Africa is facing a crisis as never seen before relative to the frequent coups that are happening.
Speaking on News 360 on TV3 Sunday, August 6 in connection with the coup in Niger, the United Nations Senior Mediation Advisor said “West Africa is facing an unprecedented crisis, never before seen in the region before the formation of ECOWAS or after the formation of ECOWAS.
“In this time the challenge has been that ECOWAS is trying to deploy all the tools available to it to be able to hold firmly the line that is defined by our own protocols, the 1999 protocols on peace and security subsequently in 2001 the supplementary protocol on democracy and good governance.”
The former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs added “What you see happening that you are calling an infliction of the wound on itself which in part, is correct, is related to the lack of political will for the type of reforms that would have updated these tools for deployment by ECOWAS, so we are using old tools to respond to an unprecedented crisis that we have never witnessed before.
“That is the reason why it is not about inflicting a wound on ourselves in the context of Niger but in a broader context in which the capacity to appreciate what has loomed large since 2012 as an evolving crisis in the Sahel that then reach unprecedented levels in terms of violence in 2022 has now become manifest.”
Meanwhile, Niger’s military leaders have closed the country’s airspace after defying a deadline by the regional bloc Ecowas to hand back power to a civilian government or face possible armed intervention.
The army said it believes preparations to invade Niger had begun in two African countries but gave no evidence.
The soldiers in the West African country announced a coup on national TV.
They said they had dissolved the constitution, suspended all institutions and closed the nation’s borders.
Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been held by troops from the presidential guard since early on Wednesday.
He was promised Washington’s “unwavering support” in a call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also said he had spoken to the president and offered the UN’s full support.
Mr Bazoum is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy in West Africa.
Two neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, have experienced coups triggered by jihadist uprisings in recent years.
In both countries the new military leaders have fallen out with France, the former colonial power, which also formerly ruled Niger.