Four countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) discussed, Tuesday, July 18 in Nigeria, democratic transitions and security in the region, the organization said. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, elected on July 9 as head of ECOWAS, met in Abuja with officials from Niger, Guinea-Bissau and Benin.
They notably discussed security in Mali after the withdrawal of the UN mission, Minusma, created in 2013 to support this country threatened by the jihadist push. At the end of June, the UN Security Council put an end to this peacekeeping mission at the request of the Malian military junta, critical of Westerners and which has moved closer to Russia.
Three of the fifteen member countries of ECOWAS – Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea – are now ruled by military juntas, after a recent series of coups (five since 2020). At the same time, the jihadist groups Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) have gained ground in the Sahel, extending their attacks southward to countries in the Gulf of Guinea.
« Task force »
With the support of Niger, Nigeria, Benin and Guinea-Bissau have set up a tripartite commission to find alternative security solutions after the withdrawal of the UN mission in Mali, including the possible deployment of soldiers from countries of ECOWAS.
On behalf of this “task force”, the President of Benin, Patrice Talon, will soon travel to Mali, Burkina and Guinea to discuss security and democratic transition after the coups, said Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, to the press in Abuja.
The four countries meeting in Abuja “reaffirmed their support for rapid democratic transitions in these countries”, he added. In terms of security, “they are committed to providing a solid response”, referring to a possible deployment of troops from ECOWAS countries, he added, without elaborating.
In December 2022, the ECOWAS countries decided to create a regional force dedicated to intervening not only against jihadism, but also in the event of a coup. But few details have emerged since about its constitution and funding, which still need to be clarified.
