Faith Nyasuguta
West African leaders convened in Abuja on December 10 to address the deepening political crisis, escalating jihadist threats in the Sahel, and criticisms of leadership in some member countries.
The primary focus of the discussions was the political turmoil in Niger, with a commission established to engage with Niger’s ruling CNSP (Conseil National pour le Salut du Peuple) to determine progress toward a short transition and other conditions for lifting sanctions.
“The authority decides to set up a committee of heads of state made up of the president and head of state of the Republic of Togo, the president and head of state of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the president and head of state of the Republic of Benin, to engage with CNSP and other stakeholders, with a view to agreeing on a short transition roadmap, establishing transition organs, as well as facilitating the setting up of a transition monitoring and evaluation mechanism to work for the speedy restoration of constitutional order,” stated the president of the ECOWAS commission.
This decision followed a meeting between Niger’s de facto ruler, General Abdourahamane Tiani, and Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé, where mediation was requested.
After the July 26 coup, ECOWAS had imposed economic and financial sanctions on Niger. The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, outlined conditions for gradually easing the sanctions, warning that if the CNSP failed to comply with the committee’s outcomes, ECOWAS would maintain all sanctions, including the use of force.
General Tiani, who pledged a return to civilian rule within three years, faced criticism from ECOWAS. While diplomatic avenues remained open, ECOWAS expressed reluctance to engage in prolonged talks with no clear progress. In August, the bloc’s commissioner for peace and security labeled the three-year transition plan as “unacceptable.”
According to a Togolese source, General Tiani is ready to negotiate on the duration of the transition and the fate of deposed leader Mohamed Bazoum, who is detained.
“In his opening statement, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, urged West African leaders to prioritize good governance for the people, as it serves as a catalyst for socio-economic transformation and development.”
The president also emphasized that the goal of ECOWAS to achieve a fully integrated region couldn’t be realized without peace, security, and stability.
Tinubu described the attempt by some of the countries under military rule to float an Alliance of Sahel States as a “phantom attempt to divert attention from our mutual quest for democracy and good governance that will impact the life of our people.”
On the recent disturbances in Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau, the ECOWAS Chairman asked fellow leaders to pay attention to protecting democracy, reiterating ECOWAS’ zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government.
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