Hard-nosed negotiations between leaders of the Economic Community of West African States and coup leaders in Bamako have been in process since August 18. While ECOWAS governments initially asked for restoration of the government of President Ibrahim Keita, the organisation reversed itself when it saw that was no longer realistic and requested, instead, that democratic government be restored as soon as possible in Mali.
We condemn this coup. After about four decades of on-and-off coups across many states in West Africa, and the political and economic instability such coups have thrown up across the region, it should have been clear to the soldiers in Mali that a coup is at best a distraction from major problems on the ground in Mali. For months, Mali has been occupied by troops from France, the United States, and the United Nations to prevent a major Sahel-wide insurgency with headquarters in the that country.
It is instructive that the leaders and governments of the West African region have opted for a united action against enthronement of military dictatorship. The insistence by West African leaders on ECOWAS Protocol on Good Governance and Democracy which forbids unconstitutional change of governments across the region is commendable. We urge ECOWAS member-countries to remain steadfast on the sanctions the organization has imposed on Mali so far.
Leaving a military junta in charge of Mali at a time that the country is fast becoming a laboratory for jihadist insurgency and a confluence for the world’s leading terrorists: al Qaeda, ISIS, and local jihadist groups is dangerous not only for Mali but also for West Africa. The fears of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari: “The events in Mali are great setbacks for regional diplomacy, with grave consequences for the peace and security of West Africa.
We also note that strengthening the West African Region’s peer review mechanism to forestall military takeover of government in the region is an option that is cheaper than post-coup diplomatic shuttles. We urge all African leaders to learn from the ugly development in Mali and call on the Africa Union, the United Nations, and other international organizations to support ECOWAS in its efforts to restore democratic governance in Mali.
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