President Bola Tinubu has urged the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to re-engage with countries in the sub-region whose democratic governments were ousted in military putsches to agree on a realistic and short transition programme for them.
He reiterated this position as he opened the 64th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at the presidential villa in Abuja on Sunday.
The four countries involved are the Niger Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, all of which are currently under military rule following the forced removal of their elected constitutional authorities.
He said ECOWAS should be prepared to provide them with technical and material support to achieve the stated objectives.
Tinubu, who is the president of the Authority, emphasised the need to further strengthen regional democratic achievements and uphold the right of our people to elect the leaders of their choice.
He recalled that the region agreed upon specific punitive measures to be taken against any member state opting for an unconstitutional change of government.
However, he added: “While the imposition of punitive sanctions may pose challenges, it is important to underscore that the struggle to protect the fundamental liberties of our community citizens must be upheld and respected.
“To this end, I would like to reiterate the imperative of re-engaging with the countries under military rule based on realistic and short transition plans that can deliver democracy and good governance.
“On our part, we should be prepared to provide them with technical and material support to ensure the achievement of these strategic goals.”
The president noted that the summit was taking place at a time of significant developments not just in the sub-region but globally, when the world was confronted with the challenges of democratic consolidation, economic difficulties, the climate change crisis, and food insecurity, among others.
Tinubu stressed the importance of a fully integrated ECOWAS region, which he observed cannot be realised without peace, security, and stability.
He also underscored the need for leaders to prioritise good governance for the people, as, according to him, it catalyzes socio-economic transformation and development.
The president added: “The delivery of good governance is not just a fundamental commitment; it is also an avenue to address the concerns of our citizens, such as improved quality of life and a stable environment conducive to the achievement of sustainable development.
“By providing good governance that tackles the challenges of poverty, inequality, and other concerns of the people, we would have succeeded in addressing some of the root causes of military intervention in civilian processes in our region.”
According to the president, notwithstanding the notable achievements of ECOWAS, a significant portion of its people continue to face the challenges of poverty and widespread unemployment.
He added, “There is therefore a need for us to harness the potential of our rich natural and human resources, diverse agricultural sector, and burgeoning youthful population for the prosperity of our region. Indeed, the collective market of ECOWAS Member States presents huge opportunities for trade and investment to unlock the region’s full economic potential.”
The Authority chairman congratulated the people of Liberia for the successful conduct of the presidential election and commended President George Weah’s exemplary leadership and conduct throughout the electoral process, noting that by conceding defeat and congratulating his opponent, Weah has left a legacy to be emulated by politicians in our region and beyond.
In light of the recent disturbances in Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau, he emphasised his stance against any form of unconstitutional change of government in the sub-region, calling on the leaders to stand strong and united in solidarity with the people and governments of both countries in the face of these unfortunate incidents.
“The message must go out loud and clear: military rule has become an aberration that subverts the popular will of the people. It no longer has any place in Africa. Our people must be allowed to exercise their freedom of choice without let or hindrance. For democracy to endure in our sub-region, we must improve on good government and respect human rights and the rule of law,” President Tinubu told his guests.
In his remark, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, regretted that the military authorities have “unfortunately shown little remorse as they hold onto their untenable positions.”
“Despite the successful application of the sanctions, we observed with concern some breaches of the sanctions, including the massive movement of physical cash by individuals across the borders,” he stated.
In the communique issued at the end of the meeting, the Authority directed the ECOWAS Commission to resume the efforts to activate the ECOWAS Standby Force in its kinetic mode to tackle terrorism in the region.
It noted the continued challenges of insecurity and instability in the region that have been engendered by terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organized crime, as well as unconstitutional changes of government.
“On the fight against terrorism and other related security issues. The authority asserts its commitment to the eradication of terrorism and other threats to the peace, security and stability of the region.
“To this end, the authority instructs the commission to urgently resume efforts to activate the ECOWAS standby force in its kinetic mode for counterterrorism operations in zones infested by terrorist groups.
“The Authority instructs the commission to expedite the convening of the meeting of ministers of finance and defense, to agree on the modalities for the mobilization of internal financial human and material resources on a mandatory basis for support the deployment of the regional counterterrorism force,” it said.
The Authority also directed the Commission to intensify collaboration with sub regional counterterrorism initiatives such as the Accra initiative, and Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
It urged member states to increase funding for joint maritime operations and exercises in the region and to improve coordination and collaboration among various agencies.
On democracy and good governance, the Authority directed the ECOWAS Commission to undertake deep reflection with stakeholders on the relationship between electoral processes, democracy and development and to make actionable recommendations on increasing the transparency and credibility of elections and the promotion of inclusive development and accountable governance.
The authority further instructed the commission to intensify consultation with member states in order to finalize and present for adoption, the draft revise Supplementary Protocol on democracy and good governance.
The Authority resolved to set up a committee of heads of state to engage with the military authorities in Niger Republic and other stakeholders with a view to agreeing on a short transition roadmap, establishing transition organs as well as facilitating the setting up of a transition monitoring and evaluation mechanism towards the speedy restoration of constitutional order.
Based on the outcomes of the engagement by the committee, the Authority will progressively ease the sanctions imposed military government.
It warned that ECOWAS would maintain all sanctions, including the use of force and would request African Union and all other partners to enforce the targeted sanctions on members of the Niger military regime and their associates.
On Mali, the Authority welcomed the successful national referendum in the country and commended the transition authorities for the efforts they have deployed.
The communique added: “However, the authority notes with concern the transition authorities reluctance to cooperate with ECOWAS, in the implementation of transition programs, and other activities of interest to the region.”
The Authority directed member states to exempt the transition presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers of the member states in transition from the travel ban and other targeted individual sanctions imposed on the military administrations.
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