Let’s uphold democracy in ECOWAS
The military coup in Niger presents a diplomatic dilemma for the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) who are keen on entrenching a new democratic order.
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On July 26, members of Niger’s presidential guards detained President Mohamed Bazoum and announced a change of government – the fourth West African country to do so after Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.
These military interventions are unfortunately coming at a time the region has made some strides in the last decade to shed its reputation as a "coup belt", only for persistent insecurity and corruption to open the door to military leaders.
The coup is seen as a major blow to many countries that viewed Niger as a partner in the Sahel region that could be used to beat back a growing uprising by groups linked to terrorists.
An ECOWAS summit in Abuja ended with the imposition of a number of sanctions, including a no-fly zone over Niger.
The bloc also issued a one-week ultimatum to the Abdourahmane Tchiani-led interim military government in Niger to restore constitutional order or risk the possible use of force.
The ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff are meeting in Accra today and tomorrow to discuss a possible military intervention in Niger, regional military sources said last Tuesday, a source at ECOWAS confirmed.
Ahead of the meeting, various groups, including academicians, politicians and security analysts have condemned ECOWAS’ move for a military intervention and rather called for a diplomatic effort to resolve the situation.
The latest group to add its voice to the call is the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, which has indicated that it would be wrong for the government to take a unilateral decision on the matter without broad consultation.
Created in 1975, the 15-nation bloc was designed to “promote economic integration across the region.
”Its principles centre around establishing a single trading unit, similar to policies under the European Union, that promote democratic governance and sub-regional cooperation.
In this way, it is first and foremost an economic entity, not a military or political one.
But ECOWAS has fangs.
It has two defence protocols that say any threat against a member state is deemed a threat against the greater community.
And it has mustered troops to intervene in the past.
So, when instability rocked Niger, the fourth country in the region to suffer a coup in recent times, ECOWAS saw intervention as part of its broader mission to support and protect West Africa.
It is for this reason that the Daily Graphic calls for calm and not stampeding ECOWAS into taking decisions that will embolden the military to oust a constitutional order at the least opportunity.
Much as we agree to a call for a broader consultation on the crisis in Niger, we should also be mindful of the fact that constitutionally, ECOWAS has a duty to ensure that the rise in military coups in the sub region is halted and constitutionalism made to prevail at all times.
After all, the West African leaders are not immediately intervening militarily; they are first pursuing the path of diplomacy and dialogue, which is why ECOWAS has continued its efforts of engaging diplomatically with Niger’s military junta.
For the Daily Graphic, the crisis in Niger is not just a test of the diplomatic skills of the leadership, but a test of the bloc’s commitment to shared African values.
The world is watching, and the stakes are high, so is our resolve that our leaders are not just negotiating for the present, but they are negotiating for our future and for the future of Africa even if it means military intervention.
Let us resolve to support our leaders to halt the constitutional insanity.
With a firm resolve and unyielding commitment, we must deepen the constitutional order and usher in a new era of zero tolerance for military takeovers.
ECOWAS must send the right signal to the military that it has the right to enforce a constitutional order, an order not marked by war, but by peace; not by division, but by unity; not by intimidation, but by mutual respect, and if diplomacy and persuasion fail, force must then be applied.
It is a daunting task, no doubt, but it is one we must embrace with both hands, by having faith in our leaders to come up with a lasting solution at the Accra summit today.
