ECOWAS declares emergency as West Africa grapples with coups

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The Economic Community of West African States has declared a state of emergency as the region is grappling with a security crisis. The announcement came last Tuesday, after a successful coup in Guinea-Bissau, followed by a coup attempt in Benin. Guinea-Bissau was suspended from the bloc shortly after the military intervention. Established to promote economic integration and political stability in West Africa, ECOWAS is now largely criticised for its ineffectiveness and failure to protect democracy in the region. In January this year, three junta-led nations of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger withdrew from the bloc, citing alleged French influence over the organisation. With almost half of the bloc’s members having either been suspended or withdrawn, can ECOWAS survive? And what should the bloc do to prevent further instability in the region? Guests: Ier Jonathan-Ichaver Founder at Sesor Empowerment Foundation Kayode Ogundamisi Nigerian and International Affairs Analyst Beverly Ochieng Francophone Africa Security Analyst at Control Risks Consultancy 00:00 - Intro: Can a state of emergency help bring stability to ECOWAS? 01:24 - Political instability in West Africa explained 05:12 - Debate 05:42 - Has the declaration of state of emergency led to any real change? 09:28 - Is ECOWAS intervention to Benin truly about safeguarding democracy? 11:13 - Why is ECOWAS failing to prevent regional instability? 13:47 - Is the bloc widely seen as a legacy of colonial power? 15:50 - What role does Nigeria see for France in regional security? 18:17 - Are ECOWAS and the Sahel States Alliance on a collision course? 20:55 - How effective is ECOWAS in countering terror and extremism? 22:36 - What is behind ECOWAS ineffectiveness? 24:58 - Concluding remarks #WestAfrica #ECOWAS #theNewsmakers