Insecurity: Military juntas not doing any better than civilian govts - Akufo-Addo

West Africa suffers coup contagion

Most takeovers as a result of insecurity

ECOWAS condemns unconstitutional overthrows

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has observed that military juntas are not doing any better in terms of fighting the very terrorist threat, for which reason they have overthrown civilian governments.

He cited the specific case of Mali, where the recent

Read full articlecoup wave in the West African sub region started.

Akufo-Addo, who is the current Chairman of regional bloc ECOWAS, emphasized the group's position on military interventions stating that it was convenient for people to assume that if the military takeover, there will be a quick fix on security.

"It is easier for people to come and say, well, you need soldiers to resolve issues if insecurity in the nation, we’ll see.

"The initial evidence doesn’t point to the fact that the military in office in Bamako is doing anything better about the insecurity and the fight against jihadists than the civilian government," he stressed.

He continued: "The most important thing, we have been through a cycle of coup in West Africa before. It isn’t as if this is a new phenomenon and it is because of that, that the regional body made it as a fundamental part of its culture that we will no longer tolerate unconstitutional changes of government.

"If people want to get into office, they should do so by persuading our people to vote for them," the ECOWAS chairman added.

West Africa has witnessed three successful coups in the last two years, twice in Mali and once in Guinea and Burkina Faso. An attempt was thwarted earlier this year in Guinea-Bissau.