ECOWAS asks Coup military to come up with election timetable as soon as possible
On February 3, local time, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held a special summit meeting on the political situation in Burkina Faso, saying that the military coup in Burkina Faso has shown its willingness to work hard to restore constitutional order, and there is no need to impose more sanctions. And asked it to submit an election timetable as soon as possible. ECOWAS Commission Chairman Bleu told a news conference after the meeting that the group had been in contact with the military that overthrew Burkina Faso President Kabore’s regime on January 24, and that they had expressed interest in working with Westminster. Community cooperation to restore constitutional order. Because of its willingness to cooperate, there is no need to impose more sanctions on Bu.
On January 31, the leading agency of the Burkina Faso military coup d’état, the “Rescue and Restoration Patriotic Movement” announced that it would restore the Burkina Faso constitution, which was suspended after the coup d’etat on the 24th, and appointed the leader of the agency, Lieutenant Colonel Sandogo Damiba. For the transitional president, head of state and supreme leader of the armed forces.
Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo, the rotating chairman of ECOWAS, said that the military mutiny in Mali is “contagious” and has formed a dangerous trend that has led to continued political unrest in the region.
Since August 2020, military mutinies or attempted coups have occurred in many West African countries. ECOWAS suspended the membership of Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso and imposed sanctions on Mali and Guinea.
West African leaders are holding an emergency summit in the Ghanaian capital Accra in response to a recent spate of coups in the region.
The talks on Thursday were initiated after Burkina Faso on January 24 became the third member of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to be overtaken by the military.
Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kabore was deposed amid public anger at his handling of violence by armed groups.
Burkina Faso followed Mali, where a coup in September 2020 was followed by a second in May 2021, and Guinea, where elected President Alpha Conde was deposed last September.
Thursday talks also come days after the president of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, survived an attempted coup after assailants armed with machine guns and assault rifles attacked the government palace.
The region’s recent turmoil has stoked fears among ECOWAS countries that efforts to steer West Africa towards stability and democracy are failing.
Thursday’s one-day meeting, scheduled to start at 10:00 GMT, will assess the bloc’s actions moving forward.
ECOWAS chairman Nana Akufo-Addo said at the opening of the summit that a coup in Mali had been “contagious” and had led to subsequent military takeovers in the region.
The trend “must be contained before it devastates our whole region,” Akufo-Addo said.“This summit will focus on the emerging threats in our region that stem from the military’s interference in Mali and its contagious influence in Guinea and Burkina Faso,” he said.
Al Jazeera’s Ahmad Idris, reporting from Accra, said many countries in the ECOWAS bloc were concerned that the coups could inspire similar actions against their governments.
“The question on everyone’s lips is: what will the West African leaders do to stop these attempts from recurring in the region?” he said.
ECOWAS representatives are expected to discuss the possibility of imposing sanctions on Burkina Faso, adding to its decision to suspend Ouagadougou from the 15-nation bloc. The African Union (AU) has also suspended Burkina Faso from its Peace and Security Council.
The bloc has slapped sanctions on Mali and Guinea for failing to restore civilian rule after military takeovers. Additional measures have included the closure of borders by ECOWAS members, an embargo on trade and financial transactions as well as targeted sanctions against individuals.
By Astrid Zhang Lehan
