Nigerian President Bola Tinubu urged the West African bloc ECOWAS on Sunday to initiate re-engagement with countries in the region currently under military rule. He emphasized the need to support these nations in achieving prompt and realistic transitions to democracy.
Niger was the most recent member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to experience a coup, occurring in July when soldiers from the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, establishing what they termed a transitional government.
The event is part of a series of governmental upheavals in West Africa’s Sahel region. Additionally, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone recently reported thwarting attempted coups.
Addressing an annual summit in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, ECOWAS Chairman Tinubu stressed the necessity for the bloc to re-engage with countries governed by military regimes, advocating for short-term transition plans to actualize democracy and sound governance.
Tinubu highlighted the bloc’s obligation to offer technical and material assistance to facilitate the realization of these crucial objectives.
The military administrations claim that ECOWAS-imposed economic sanctions, which are adversely affecting the impoverished populace, should be lifted.
Furthermore, Tinubu announced ECOWAS’s intent to reassess a security alliance formed by some member states under military rule. In September, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso signed a security pact, pledging mutual aid in the event of rebellion or external aggression.
Tinubu criticized this purported defensive alliance, characterizing it as a distraction from the collective pursuit of democracy and good governance beneficial to citizens. Subsequently, he led ECOWAS leaders into a closed-door meeting to deliberate on these matters.
