Nigerian President Bola Tinubu as his rotating president led the economic community of the West African states (Ecowas) for less than two years. But, in that short period, the main political and economic body in the region saw some of the biggest challenges in its history.With terrorist attacks and other security concerns, Ecowas’s ability has been further reduced to respond to the hazards after the exit of Borkina Faso, Mali and Niger under the leadership of its respective military rulers. Tinubu accepted the same in his speech at the Ecowas summit in the weekend in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.The President expressed concern about the process of stopping an extended Ecowas standby force, composed of military, civil and police components. The force was conceived in 2024 after the departure of the three Sahel countries, which in 2023 established its coalition of the Sahel States (AES).“The Ecowas Standby Force should move from the concept to operating reality,” said, “Tinu said, with the need for a ready force to combat terrorism, exposing other forms of organized crime in West Africa. “I am a bit worried about the slow pace of its activism, which is taking more time than the desired.”Ecowas Cofers received a fresh cash injection from the European Union last week of € 110 million ($ 126 million) – although it is still far from the estimated cost of € 2.26 billion € 2.26 billion required for the activeness of the standby force.
‘A fully fragmented area’
However, he expressed optimism that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger would eventually “return to the family,” Tinu said he had “finished all diplomatic means to attach and communicate with our brothers.” Countries have clearly refused to re -include Ecowas.“Now you have a completely fragmented field,” Beverly Ocheng, a senior colleague, who specializes in Sahel at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, described DW as citing gradual coup in West Africa. “So you have three countries that have originally gone out of the block,” said Ocheng. “You have one who is still under suspension until it holds its elections, and he is a guinea. And, broadly, you have an Ecovas that sometimes feels as if it is able to be able to maintain a sense of unity to be able to face some of those challenges as a joint front. ,
Opposition to coalitions working together
The AES has openly defined the right that Ecowas has established the region in the last 50 years, and it has been used as an example to underline the allegations that Tinubu showed a lot of resolve against the Sahel states headed by Junta during his Ecowas President’s post.“In the beginning of the military couples, the rhetoric in response to military couples may be wrong in the sense of open communication and cooperation,” Ocheng said about Tinu’s hardball approach.Perhaps now as a gentle sign of coordination – or a final indication of defeat – Ikovas also announced during his summit in Abuja that it had reached an agreement with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’s military jute to work together in its fight against terrorism in the entire region.OCHIENG stated that the effort was mainly based on “a feeling by Ecowas that he would eventually find a way to work with Sahel as the issues affecting Sahel would eventually have an impact on Ecowas.”The agreement has said that the principle of movement of goods and freedom of people’s movement will be maintained between the member states of both coalitions.
A new president
Julius, president of Sierra Leone, president of the new Ecowas, has clearly cut her work for her – and he knows it, as the block has faced unprecedented threats to its integrity.“Democratic Space is under stress in some parts of our region,” Bio said in his initial comment as the chairman of Ecowas. “In some countries, constitutional orders have been interrupted.”DW’s Ben Shemung, who reported from the Ecovas summit in Abuja, said that Bio had promised to prioritize democracy, security cooperation, economic integration and institutional credibility of ECOVAS during its tenure.“Many people are expecting a term that will not only strengthen security within the regional block, but will also ensure unity,” Shemung said.
Organized crime on growth
Issues are accumulating at the bio desk.Organized crime in West Africa against the backdrop of political and economic instability, and it often affects several national borders, in which the rebels have mixed with criminals.The kidnapping for ransom, a spike in misuse of entertaining drugs and an increase in illegal mining practices highlight the growing disappointment of people in an area with a holistic population of 425 million people.“Ecowas and some of its departments will talk about the levels of crime, they will talk about issues affecting criminality,” Ochieng said. “But when it comes to implementing measures to be able to compete for some of them, it is quite slow and bureaucracy.”
Further fragmentation threats
The establishment of AES has explained many people as an overdose response to the dull effects of colonialism, along with the leaders to explain the functions of the Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to seek new directions.In a recent survey in Togo, independent, PAN-African Research Network was conducted by Afrabometer that 64 percent of Togole respondents found the establishment of AES “to some extent” or “very appropriate” and that 54 percent of Togole thought that his country would benefit from leaving Ekovas to join AES.Guinea, who is under military rule for four years, but has not joined the AES, is suspended from the Ecovas, which can move the nation ahead of the block.
Hard fight for both ecowas and aes
Such trends can be explained as evidence of the vanning effect of pre -colonial powers, but they also show the fact that bodies such as Ecowas have little impact on people’s daily lives, as volatility and unrest affect millions.“Wisely, there is a feeling that [ECOWAS] The current political pressures are not fit for purpose in the context of being able to address, and in doing so, is able to address issues that then cause economic and citizens unrest, “Ocheng said. He said that “ideas like joining AES feel like a more reactionary solution. And even AES is a very reactionary institution.”“Perhaps AES can move in a direction that people feel that it is commendable, it is very purposeful, it is very operated, but it is also on a very delicate foundation,” said Ocheng. “These are military leadership. They have widespread unrest and instability that they are facing because they are trying to establish this institution.”The increasing number of people in the region is still showing its support for a strong strategy on democratic and consensus -led policies. Bio was finding out about the big work that starts his term further.During his initial speech, the new leader of the block admitted that “Ecowas should improve itself, and be more transparent, skilled and responsible for the needs of his people.”
