Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, during a Sunday address, urged the West African bloc ECOWAS to re-establish ties with nations in the region currently under military rule. He stressed the importance of assisting these countries in swiftly transitioning to democracy.
Niger, the most recent ECOWAS member to witness a coup in July, saw soldiers from the presidential guard detain President Mohamed Bazoum and institute a transitional government.
The incident is part of a series of political upheavals in the Sahel region of West Africa. Additionally, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone recently reported thwarting attempted coups.
Speaking at an annual summit in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, ECOWAS Chairman Tinubu emphasized the bloc’s need to re-engage with nations under military regimes. He advocated for short-term transition plans to achieve democracy and effective governance, underlining ECOWAS’s obligation to offer technical and material assistance to achieve these critical goals.
The military-led administrations argue that economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS, which negatively impact the impoverished populace, should be lifted.
Furthermore, Tinubu announced ECOWAS’s intention to review a security pact formed by certain member states under military rule. Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso signed a security agreement in September, pledging mutual support in the face of rebellion or external aggression.
Tinubu criticized this defensive alliance, labeling it a distraction from the collective endeavor for democracy and good governance beneficial to citizens. Subsequently, he led ECOWAS leaders into a closed-door meeting to discuss these issues further.