Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Opmerking: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Over 3 million square kilometers of territory and 82 million people living in the ECOWAS countries are under ECOWAS sanctions now. Most of the ECOWAS territories (its total area amounting to 5.2mn sq km) are no longer a full-fledged part of the organization, which is now split into two areas coinciding with the two historical regions that Africa experts traditionally outline in West Africa – namely, Guinea, including the coastal West African territories from Senegal to Cameroon, and West Sudan, part of the Sahara/Sahel region. In fact, ECOWAS is split into two camps. One camp is represented by the four countries that have gone through coups d’etat (Mali in 2020 and 2021; Guinea in 2021; Burkina Faso in 2022), while the opposing camp includes Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and others.
ECOWAS has always been a rather heterogeneous, diverse organization, with its population divided by both religious (Christianity vs Islam) and language (English vs French) affiliations. And also, there are two monetary arrangements within ECOWAS – the WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) that unites former French colonies in Africa and is also known as the CFA franc zone, and the WAMZ (West African Monetary Zone) that plans to introduce a single currency in ECOWAS – the Eco.
Moreover, there is no unity among the ‘legitimate’ member states of ECOWAS. Nigeria is the economic leader of all Africa and an apparent regional hegemon, which was once the mastermind behind the ECOWAS concept. Its potential and capabilities intimidate other regional actors, which is deftly used by external players. Until recently, France has used its ties to the countries of the region to exert pressure on Nigeria, including at the ECOWAS level. The country’s economic protectionism annoyed the EU and was a major obstacle for a trade agreement between West Africa and the Europeans. That’s what pushed Brussels, willing to leave Nigeria out, to sign separate deals with Ghana and Ivory Coast and use them as entry points to access the regional market of ECOWAS.
Niger’s coup leaders have “no intention” of working with Russian defense contractor Wagner Group PMC, their top civilian official told the New York Times on Friday.
The Wagner Group did not comment on whether the alleged meeting took place, although the PMC’s chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has spoken favorably of the coup, calling it a “justified rebellion of the people against Western exploitation.”
France has backed ECOWAS’ efforts to force the coup leaders out of power, although Paris has not clarified whether it supports a diplomatic or a military solution. Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which came under the control of military governments who expelled French troops last year, have vowed to come to Niger’s aid in the event of an invasion.
In a televised address on Saturday evening, General Abdourahmane Tchiani – who deposed President Mohamed Bazoum in late July – said his government would decide on the principles for a transition within a month. The process itself is expected to take “no longer than three years,” Tchiani said.
He also stressed that while neither his government, nor the Nigerien people, want war and “remain open to dialogue,” the country is ready to defend itself against any external “aggression.” Tchiani predicted that such an intervention “would not be the walk in the park that some believe.
Niger’s mines are an important source of uranium for France’s nuclear reactors. Paris has 1,500 soldiers stationed in the country, which the new military rulers want gone. The US has 1,000 military personnel in the country, also declared unwelcome.
Algeria turned down a request from France to fly over its airspace for a military operation in Niger, where President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in a military coup in late July, several media reports suggest on Tuesday, citing the North-African nation’s state radio.
“Faced with Algerian refusal, France turned to Morocco, asking for authorization to pass its military planes through its airspace,” state radio said, according to the Nova News.
Mene stated that the members of AfCFTA and the African Union have timelines within which they intend to introduce a common African currency.