Africa (Commonwealth) _ The regional group Ecowas decided to withdraw the economic sanctions on Niger “soon” after General Abdourahamane Tchiani overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, 2023, according to information obtained by Jeune Afrique.
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and the regional organization’s mediators appeared to be at a halt in their negotiations. When the military-ruled nations initially declared their intention to leave ECOWAS, tensions between the juntas—led by the Nigerien Abdourahamane Tiani, the Burkinabè Ibrahim Traoré, and the Malian Assimi Goïta—and the West African civilian administrations increased by the end of January 2024.
The top leaders of state at Ecowas have apparently resolved to take the first step toward ending the impasse by getting ready to lift the sanctions imposed on Niger, the only nation that is still under them.
It is anticipated that the announcement would be made prior to the start of Ramadan on March 10. A minister stated that there should be no obstacles, but there are still two or three uncooperative nations that want comfort. The minister thinks that by making this gesture, they would be able to deter their departure from Ecowas. States who are still hesitant, according to information from allAfrica, are afraid that this choice would be seen as a capitulation to blackmail.
The imposition of the penalties was not intended to be permanent. They were meant to enable the prompt containment of the coup d’état wave and the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum in Niger. Nevertheless, another minister from West Africa stated that because it did not work, it is our responsibility as political leaders to examine this choice.
At the emergency meeting of Ecowas, which took place in Abuja on February 8, the presidents of the organization gave their foreign ministers instructions to research this matter when it was announced that certain nations were pulling out of the organization.
On a business visit to Côte d’Ivoire, we have learnt that Alassane Ouattara, the president of Ivory Coast, met with Faure Gnassingbé, his counterpart from Togo, on Thursday, February 16, 2024, in Abidjan.
The sociopolitical and security conditions inside the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the Economic Community of West African States were evaluated by the two heads of state. Along with the humanitarian circumstances facing the people living in these nations, they also talked about some of the countries’ choice to withdraw from Ecowas. They came to the conclusion that prioritizing communication and collaboration in the management and resolution of these crises required a reevaluation.
In his role as Niger’s Ecowas mediator, Gnassingbé praised the caliber of the discussions with Ouattara and urged introspection and bilateral communication outside of summits and conferences in order to identify ways to bring peace, security, and stability back to the area. Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso unilaterally withdrew from the Ecowas in February, reducing the membership from 15 to 12.
One of the eight regional economic communities designated by the African Union to promote regional integration on the continent is Ecowas, which was founded in 1975. Its principal goal is to use economic cooperation to establish a single, sizable trading bloc.
Since 1975, a number of policies have been put in place by Ecowas and its sister organization, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (also known as Uemoa in French), with the goal of enhancing commerce between and connectivity among the west African nations.
The economies of West Africa continue to rely heavily on unofficial activity, and intraregional commerce is still far lower than that of other areas. There is a disconnect between regionalism as it should be on paper and as it is really experienced on a daily basis due to the limited results of regional integration. West Africa is among the most costly locations in the world to conduct business in, despite the numerous accords that have been made by the continent’s nations to promote integration.
For this, political elites are mostly to blame. Regional integration runs counter to the unofficial agreements that politicians have made with rich businessmen in a political system based on personal relationships. These networks have hindered the execution of trade facilitation programs while promoting the growth of informal commerce between West African nations. For instance, a large portion of commerce between Benin, Niger, and Nigeria depends on unofficial networks that link traders in border areas with state elites in the major cities.
Considering the possible repercussions, it is perplexing that three landlocked nations that rank among the poorest in the world would withdraw from an organization designed to promote free flow of money, products, and people within the area.
The choice seemed to have been taken for political motives, but there will be significant economic fallout. Border restrictions between coastal and Sahelian nations have in the past had disastrous effects on the local economy. Millions of farmers, herders, and city people have also had their standard of living impacted; these groups rely on regional commerce maybe more than any other group in the globe.
Ecowas was founded in Abuja about fifty years ago with the specific intention of promoting these synergistic connections between the Gulf of Guinea and the Sahel.
