ECOWAS 61st Summit: Appeasement of the juntas -By Rasheed Akinkuolie

The Economic Community of West African States’ Summit of Heads of State took place in Accra, Ghana on July 3, 2022 to deliberate on pressing security, political and economic affairs of member states. On top of the agenda was the military takeover of the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea-Conakry, and the progress made by the military juntas to restore democracy in the three countries.

After two years of back and forth negotiations since 2020, the 18 months transition period granted by ECOWAS for the Malian junta and others to hand over to an elected government has not materialised. The juntas proposed a final transition of four years, which will end in February 2024. The new date may have been accepted by ECOWAS as a compromise.

The sanctions imposed on the countries have been relaxed; the borders with other community members have been reopened and the restrictions on trade and financial transactions with member states have also been removed.

It is not yet clear if the juntas have access to the funds of Mali and Burkina Faso, domiciled at the Central Bank of West African States—a central bank serving the eight west African countries which share the common West African CFA franc currency— in Dakar.  If they do, it should be blocked, since one of the objectives of the coups was for financial gain.

And in the case of Mali, it was also to cover up the scandal exposed by a BBC Eye documentary, Fallen and Forgotten in Mali, which revealed corruption in arms deals by senior Malian military officers, who purchased low-quality weapons, bought ‘bulletproof vests’ stuffed with cartons, ‘bulletproof socks’ for whatever purpose,  stole the salaries of soldiers and gratuities of officers killed in combat. These facts are in the public domain for verification.

The Malian junta wilfully denied the ousted President and Prime Minister of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and Boubou Cisse respectively, appropriate medical attention while in their custody. The junta expelled the French contingent and replaced them with mercenaries, who rather than fight the enemy are murdering innocent civilians in the war zones, especially peasant Peuls and Tuaregs. This is just a glimpse of the vicious nature of Colonel Assimi Goita and his colleagues.

In Guinea-Conakry, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya is consolidating his hold on to power by intimidating the Guinean people. He has banned public protests nationwide, demolished the home of the leading opposition leader, Cellou Dalein Diallo, and refused to present a transition timetable for handing over to an elected government.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba has brought his former boss, ex-President Blaise Campaore, back to Burkina Faso to take part in a sham national reconciliation program. Whereas, the people are calling for Campaore’s arrest to serve the life sentence in jail passed on him for the murder of former President Thomas Sankara, among several other crimes.

Unfortunately, ECOWAS is not being firm and resolute enough in dealing with the juntas, on the assumption that the putschists are reasonable people.

The transition until 2024 is a dangerous appeasement policy, which will give the juntas adequate time to entrench and legitimise their stay after conducting sham elections.

ECOWAS should, therefore, reverse the transition timetable to August 2023, as initially proposed by the community.

ECOWAS had in the past reined in erring member states by taking military actions against them. The interventions in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea Bissau and the Gambia brought down the illegitimate regimes in these countries and tamed their Armed Forces.  The same measure may have to be taken in  Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea-Conakry.

After the return of democratic rule, ECOWAS should work towards bringing permanent peace to the countries ravaged by wars in the Sahel, most especially Mali, where the government and Tuaregs are engaged in a long and bloody war, which has spread to other countries.

The war in the Sahel is rooted in the haphazard creation of modern states from ancient kingdoms during colonisation.  The ancient empires of Mali, Toucouleur, Masina, Bambara and Wassulu were wholly, or in part, merged to create the modern states of Mali and Burkina Faso. The kingdoms are odd bedfellows, which should have been governed in loosely federated states, rather than by a strong centralised government.

Mali was granted independence by France in June 1960 as a federated state.

Modibo Keita, the first President of the country, however, changed the political system into a unitary, Marxist state, which suppressed the freedom and aspirations of several ethnic groups.

The bad management of the diversity and crisis which followed led to the armed struggle launched by the Tuaregs and the eventual declaration of independence from the state of Mali.

ECOWAS should intervene with a peace plan, which will address tribal grievances. The peace plan will have provisions, which will enable the major ethnic groups to enjoy autonomy to manage their cultural affairs, internal security, educational system, finances, rural and urban development, among others.

The central government will control the military, immigration, currency and foreign affairs. This plan may have to be imposed by  ECOWAS if the warring parties refused to come to an agreement.

Ethnic diversity could be an asset if properly managed. The United Kingdom, which is a confederation of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland collectively created the largest empire in human history.

The four nations are so independent of each other, that they present individual teams at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games and the World Cup. This should inspire countries in the Sahel, which are collapsing due to the inability to manage their diversities in a sensible manner. Nigeria falls into this category.

The statement by the Foreign Minister of Spain, José Manuel Albares, that NATO may intervene in Mali is not an empty threat,  especially coming from a belligerent organisation in search of wars to fight.

In conclusion, ECOWAS must be firm in its resolve to put an end to the rule of the juntas. The transition period should not exceed August 2023.

Colonel Doumbouya must present a transition timetable before the next ECOWAS summit or latest by August 10, 2022 or face severe sanctions.

And to the three juntas, the era of coups in Africa is over.  The times of Idi Amin,  Sergeant Samuel Doe, Mobutu Sese Seko and Jean-Bedel Bokassa will never come back. The ignominious end of these dictators is also a good lesson for officers, who may be tempted to follow their steps. The juntas should leave peacefully, as patriotic citizens, or face the consequences of their foolhardiness and intransigence.

• Ambassador Akinkuolie was Nigeria’s Director of Trade, Investment and Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs