Coup d’etats: FOSDA commends ECOWAS

The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) has commended the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on steps taken for toppled States to return to civilian rule.

FOSDA described ECOWAS sanctions and recommendations as appropriate and urged the 15 member states to prioritise the welfare and human security needs of citizens and show strong political will to keep the peace of the sub-region.

A statement, signed by Theodora Williams Anti, Acting Executive Director, FOSDA, comes on the back of recent coup d’etats in the West African sub-region where in the space of 18 months, three successfully coups d’états had been recorded with one attempted but failed military takeover.

FOSDA said it was deeply concerned about the increasing military coup d’états and unconstitutional change of government across the sub-region, especially with the recent case in the Republic of Burkina Faso.

While FOSDA commended ECOWAS for steps taken so far urging concerned states to return to civilian rule as quickly as possible, it believed more could have been done by the Community to proactively forestall those events or minimise their impact.

The Foundation said, the socio-political turbulence in Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Guinea Bissau had been lingering, adding that the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) had described those West African countries as “Authoritarian” regimes in the 2020 Democracy Index.

It said the Fragile States Index 2020 by the Fund for Peace categorised them under “High Warning” or “Alert” and predicted that their vulnerabilities could lead to instability or worse armed conflict just as being witnessed.

FOSDA, the statement said, was worried about the rising unemployment rates and inequalities across the sub-region leading to high perceptions of corruption and abuse of power among citizens fuelling dissatisfaction, agitations and protests.

Data from the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) suggest an average unemployment rate in West Africa to hover between 12 to 14 per cent.

“We are also alarmed by the conscious disregard of the rule of law by power holders throughout the sub-region in spite of all the ECOWAS treaties and protocols on democracy and human rights,” the Foundation said.

Triggers such as the rising youth unemployment; the growing youthful population and uncertain job prospects, the statement said had contributed to deepening the loss of citizen’s hope in the political leadership within the sub region.

The and more, it added, were also causing fear and panic across the continent of a possible third wave of coups in Africa.

Therefore, FOSDA urged ECOWAS and member states, to provide strong, decisive and progressive leadership to stall the happenings and promote peace, stability and the urgently needed development of the subregion and its people.

It further called on all member States to adhere to all ECOWAS protocols, conventions and policies intended to promote democracy and good governance such as the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework and the Protocol of Democracy and Good Governance.

“We call on ECOWAS to proactively apply the appropriate sanctions to prevent the escalation of some of these challenges into conflicts,” it stressed.

It said considering recent developments in the sub region, especially post-covid economic stresses and the wave of terrorism and violent extremism in the sub-region, it expected ECOWAS and leaders of the 15 ECOWAS member countries to show strong political will to keep the peace of the sub-region.