The President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, Omar Touray, on Wednesday, urged West African states to safeguard democracy and to restore the region as the bastion of democracy in Africa.
Four countries in the sub-region – the Republic of Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea – are currently under the rule of military juntas, who seized power through coups d’etat, creating fears that democracy could be in danger in West Africa.
Touray, who spoke at the second ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament of the year 2023 in Abuja, said the resurgence of coups d’état has challenged the region in more ways, thereby making West Africa reflect on what was not working in its process of consolidating democracy.
He said, “As politicians, you are best suited to guide us on what we must do to tackle the root causes of all these unconstitutional changes of government.
“We count on your wisdom to help in safeguarding the rights of our people and for the preservation of peace, security, and stability, which are necessary for our socio-economic development and regional integration process.”
Touray said, at the political level, ECOWAS was engaging in dialogue with the member states in transition, namely Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea, in order to support them to return to normal constitutional order through the organisation of free, transparent and inclusive elections.
“As far as the Republic of Niger is concerned, we adhere to the guidance of the current Chairman of ECOWAS to resolve this crisis through dialogue and negotiation.
“On the security front, the region continues to suffer from attacks by armed groups and terrorists who seriously threaten the territorial integrity of Mali and Burkina Faso, resulting in loss of lives, material damage and millions of displaced persons and refugees.
“In this regard, we continue to provide multifaceted support to help these countries face these challenges, despite the sanctions,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Dr Sidie Tunis, noted that the region’s prosperity and security were inextricably linked to its members’ shared responsibility to look out for one another.
Tunis said, “Only a foolish neighbour goes to bed when his neighbour’s roof is on fire.
“In a region of interconnected threats and challenges, we can only address our issues effectively through broad, deep, and sustained cooperation among states.”
Tunis also called for greater self-reliance from ECOWAS member states, stressing that the region could not continue to rely on outside help to solve its problems.
