–Lifts Economic Sanctions on Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali
Just when the citizens of the West African subregion gathered courage that militaries in the region are put in check by massive economic sanctions, heads of state of ECOWAS met in their extraordinary summit, soften, and removed the sanctions on the military juntas of Guinea, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
Political observers believe that the action of ECOWAS to lift the sanctions, whether they seek peace and security or not, has emboldened militaries in the subregion, which could lead to more coup d’etats in West Africa.
On September 5, 2021, the Guinean military overthrew the civilian government of President of Guinea Alpha Condé. The Coup leader was Conde’s trusted Special forces commander Mamady Doumbouya.
On May 24, 2021, a coup d’etat led by Malian Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and Minister of Defence Souleymane Doucouré. Then on September 30, 2022, Burkina Faso military removed Interim President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba over his alleged inability to deal with the country’s Islamist insurgency. Military Captain Ibrahim Traoré took over as interim leader.
On 26 July 2023, a coup d’état occurred in Niger when the country’s presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, and Presidential Guard commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself the leader of a new military junta.
The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS slammed the four countries with economic sanctions, and threatened to military restored Niger to civilian rule. That military evasion threat did not happen. The four countries united and announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS.
The subregional group on Saturday, February 24, 2024, met in Abuja in its extraordinary summit on the political, security, and peace conditions in the ECOWAS sub-region. The President ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, announced that the Saturday resolution in a communique, after an hour-long deliberation by authority of Heads of State and Government that is chaired by the Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has removed the economic sanctions imposed on the four military juntas.
