Rifts in West Africa

The ECOWAS summit took place against the backdrop of profound changes in the region, especially following coups that brought military regimes to power...

The 66th Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Summit took place in Abuja, Nigeria, on December 15th.

The 66th Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Summit took place in Abuja, Nigeria, on December 15th, under the chairmanship of the host country's President and Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Heads of State and Government , Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The conference was attended by the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Annadif Khatir Mahamat Saleh, and leaders from 13 countries in the region, but representatives from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger were absent.

Established in 1975, ECOWAS currently has 15 members, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Since then, ECOWAS has become the region's leading political body.

Notably, this conference is taking place against the backdrop of profound changes in the resource-rich region, especially following the coups that brought military regimes to power in Mali (August 18, 2020 and May 24, 2021), Burkina Faso (January 24 and September 30, 2022), and Niger (July 26, 2023). After these coups, relations between these three Sahel countries and ECOWAS members began to seriously deteriorate.

Ahead of the conference, the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced they would not attend, stating that the process of withdrawing from ECOWAS and forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) would continue. The three countries argued that they had suffered a series of sanctions while receiving no support in addressing security challenges, particularly as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) expanded their operations in the region.

Meanwhile, in his opening remarks at the Conference, ECOWAS Chairman Bola Ahmed Tinubu affirmed: “Over the years, ECOWAS has achieved significant milestones in strengthening regional integration, facilitating the free movement of people, goods and services, and supporting governance and conflict resolution.”

Mr. Bola Tinubu emphasized that global and regional challenges are testing the spirit of cooperation within ECOWAS. Freedom of movement and the common market of 400 million people are among the bloc's main benefits, but these benefits would be threatened if Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger left.

According to ECOWAS documents, the decision of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to withdraw will take effect one year after its announcement, i.e., in January 2025. Following this, a six-month transition period will take place. During this time, ECOWAS will remain open for the three countries to participate in normal activities. In return, the three breakaway countries will also issue a declaration allowing citizens of the bloc visa-free access to their territories, except for those prohibited from entry.

According to Babacar Ndiaye, a senior fellow at the Timbuktu Institute for Peace Studies in Senegal, the withdrawal of the three countries from the community represents a serious division and challenge for ECOWAS.

Meanwhile, Mucahid Durmaz, a senior analyst at the UK-based global risk consulting firm Verisk Maplecroft, argues that the continued power of military regimes could “lead to further regional fragmentation.” He emphasizes that the secession of the three countries not only hinders the freedom of movement and settlement of people, but also exacerbates regional instability, dealing a severe blow to security cooperation, particularly in intelligence sharing and the fight against terrorism.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ran-nut-o-tay-phi-297946.html