As the political crisis escalated following the military coup in Niger, ECOWAS was in the spotlight as it cared most about the crisis and given its history of similar crises and coups, a history that has seen the group’s diplomacy and military intervention.
Experts believe that this organization, called ECOWAS, is the most regional organization in Africa to achieve regional integration goals in various fields such as economy, security, politics, and culture. The organization sees the achievement of regional peace and security as the main pillar of economic revival and social cohesion, and has made real efforts to this end.
Prioritizing security doesn’t just happen out of thin air. With the exception of Cape Verde and Senegal, 15 countries have had military coups since independence and caused continuous riots. Therefore, it is necessary to find a way out and a solution to this challenge. Consequently, in 1999, the organization issued a protocol on mechanisms for conflict prevention, management, resolution and maintenance of peace and security. The agreement also introduces a text that allows the mechanism to intervene in member states in the event of an unconstitutional change in an elected government.
When civil war broke out in Liberia in 1989, the group intervened diplomatically, leading to a political settlement. And in 1991, it intervened diplomatically in Sierra Leone because of the political crisis in Sierra Leone, and when those peace efforts were unsuccessful, it intervened militarily, leading to a political settlement. In addition, when armed conflicts broke out between political factions in Guinea-Bissau, ECOWAS also made limited military intervention to promote a political settlement of the situation. In the country of Ivory Coast, ECOWAS responded diplomatically to the conflict with limited military intervention.
In December 2022, the group announced the creation of a new military force to intervene in the event of an unconstitutional change of government to counter coups, maintain security and fight terrorism. The force, which consists of 5,000 soldiers, costs $2.3 billion a year to deploy troops as required, and ECOWAS identifies scenarios for intervention, namely restoration of constitutional order and restoration of civilian rule, or extremism and terrorism.
Sanctions on Niger (Al Jazeera)
intervention background
By tracking the way ECOWAS handles situations of political division or armed conflict, its military interventions occur in situations of armed conflict between two parties, which require the presence of a third party. In coup cases that do not involve internal conflict, ECOWAS has resorted to diplomatic and economic pressure to contain the coup and return the situation to civilian rule.
In the case of Mali, ECOWAS has taken a diplomatic and military approach. ECOWAS was present at the time of the rebellion in the north, backed by an international force comprising one of the group’s military forces. But after the coup, ECOWAS rejected the coup and imposed severe economic sanctions on the military council. The surrounding countries closed their borders, stopped financial and commercial flows, and asked the military council to appoint a civilian transitional government.
In fact, the Military Council announced that it had reached an agreement on this. In July 2022, the group decided to lift sanctions on Mali after the military proposed a law and a 24-month electoral map.
After the second coup in Burkina Faso, ECOWAS stepped in and signed a memorandum of understanding on joint monitoring and evaluation with the Burkina Faso authorities. The coup authorities promised to hold elections in July 2024. Here we note that ECOWAS did not sanction Burkina Faso, but resumed with the authorities within 24 months after the group rejected the junta’s proposal of a deadline of 36 months to return to constitutional life The timetable of the constitutional order was reconciled.
General Abdurrahman Chiani, declared Niger’s new head of state by coup leaders, arrives to meet ministers in Niamey, Niger, July 28, 2023 (Reuters)
niger test
The coup in Niger caught the region off guard and put a wealth of experience and decision-making to the test before the group brought things back to normal in Mali and Burkina Faso.
At an emergency meeting on Sunday, the group gave the coup authorities a week to restore President-elect Mohammad Bazum and end the coup. At the same time, it imposed financial sanctions on the coup leader, frozen business and financial transactions between the group’s country and Niger, and imposed a travel ban on officials involved in the coup. It also warned against using all measures, including the use of force, to restore constitutional order. In addition, the group state closed all land and air borders with Niger.
Despite the group’s threats, its military intervention depends on the stance of President Mohammad Bazoum, who remains opposed to the coup but seems isolated from any solid force that would provide ECOWAS with an excuse to intervene, in addition to its commitment to form a The power to intervene in such situations has not yet been established. As such, the group has nothing left to do but political and economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and negotiations with the coup authorities to restore constitutional rule (albeit temporarily), perhaps requiring the intervention of allies and key actors.
The AU has no choice but to freeze the coup state’s membership and ban it from coalition activities
Absent AU
In addition to the capacity of ECOWAS, the AU is also responsible for addressing such imbalances on the continent. However, since the EU cannot amend the terms of “non-interference in the internal affairs of member states and respect for regional sovereignty”, it cannot find a fundamental solution to the coup crisis.
Currently, the AU has no choice but to freeze the country’s membership, bar it from participating in the coalition’s activities, and give countries that undergo unconstitutional changes six months to return to constitutional life, even after coup leaders change from generals to civilian clothes become the head of state.
As a result, the AU and its military arm, the African Council for Peace and Security, still face problems in dealing with the military establishments of African countries due to the dominance of the military in plainclothes. This has prompted some calls for an overhaul of the Commonwealth Act, which deals with intervention in the event of military coups and unconstitutional changes.
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2023-08-01 14:18:08
