Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting Thursday (February 3rd) in Accra, as three countries in this jihadist-stricken region – Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso – are led by putschist soldiers and were suspended from his entreaties.
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West Africa has been destabilized by four coups in 18 months, two in Mali, one in Guinea and the most recent, less than 10 days ago, in Burkina Faso. This country should occupy an important place during the summit which should begin at 10 am (local and GMT), after the visit to Ouagadougou of two delegations – chiefs of staff then ministers of the region – who met the new strongman of Burkina, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.
Greeting Monday “frank talk”, Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey found the Burkinabè junta “very open to suggestions and proposals” which were made by ECOWAS. She and other members of the delegation were able to meet ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who is under house arrest and who they said will “very good”. They demanded his release. Lieutenant Colonel Damiba is “calm, composed and very receptive”, confirms a West African diplomat who also met him.
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It remains to be seen whether this first good impression will allow Burkina Faso, suspended from ECOWAS authorities since Friday, to avoid greater sanctions. Last week, in his only public statement since taking power, Damiba assured that his country, plagued by regular jihadist attacks since 2015, had “more than ever needs its partners” international.
In addition to Burkina, the situation in neighboring Mali, also plagued by jihadist violence, will also be studied at the Accra summit. ECOWAS heavily sanctioned the junta of Colonel Assimi Goïta in January, brought to the head of Mali by a first coup in August 2020 and enthroned president “of transition” following a second putsch, in May 2021. These sanctions – closure of ECOWAS borders, embargo on trade and financial transactions in particular – punish the military’s plan to continue to govern for several years, and the commitment not obliged to organize elections in February which would have brought civilians back to the head of the country.
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In recent days, tension has also risen a notch between the Malian junta and the partner countries of the European group of special forces Takuba which fights against jihadist groups, France in the lead. For Germany, the European military commitment must be reassessed after the expulsion of the French ambassador in Bamako. Since independence and jihadist insurgencies in 2012, Mali has been subject to the actions of groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organization, and violence of all kinds perpetrated by self-proclaimed self-defense militias and bandits. The regular forces are themselves accused of abuses.
The question of Guinea, also suspended from ECOWAS authorities, should also be discussed in Accra. Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, in power since a coup in September, is targeted with the members of his junta by sanctions. He promised to return power to civilians, while refusing to be dictated to by a deadline for the transition. Finally, a fourth West African country should be on the agenda of the summit: Guinea-Bissau, targeted on Tuesday by an aborted coup which left several dead and seriously injured, according to President Umaro Sissoco Embalo. .
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