By Bashir Aliyu
The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu chaired the opening session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) in Abuja which was held on 6th December as the body pushes ahead with its efforts to restore stability in the region following a series of coups in Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Niger.
The meeting which focused on the ongoing political, security and humanitarian challenges in some member states aimed to discuss the progress being made by the ECOWAS body to accelerate the return of constitutional authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger which according to some experts worsened the security challenges in the Sahel region which has for years become an epicenter of inter-communal clashes and terrorism with civilians bearing the brunt of the crises.
According to a senior official at Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs familiar with the matter, the most notable threats facing the regional block is the negative impact coup d’etat continues to have on governance, peace, and security.
Daily Review Newspaper finds that the withdrawal of French troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and recently Niger has worsened insecurity and civilian casualties in the Sahel region. France’s withdrawal from the Sahel region has created a security vacuum that the ECOWAS has fewer options to tackle because the block suspended security cooperation with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and the sanctions imposed on the countries would make it difficult for member states to form a collective coalition against insecurity.
According to Mr. Omar Alieu, a series of military coups in West Africa has is setback for fight against terror, noting that there 1503 incidences of terrorist attacks recorded in Burkina Faso from 1st to October 22, 2023, 1044 in Mali, and 376 in Niger since the coup.
Aside from the upswing in terrorist attacks in the region which was enabled by the withdrawal of foreign troops and military coups, the humanitarian crises in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger remain difficult as over 4.8 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. The risk of mass starvation is on the rise as 2.4 million people according to Omar Alieu, are internally displaced and more than 9000 schools remain closed.
Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, the chairperson of the Mediation and Security Council of the ECOWAS, and Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs called on the representatives of the member states to proffer a viable solution and policy that would engender sutainable peace and stability in the region.
The Mediation and Security Council will hold another meeting on October 7, 2023 where a report will be presented and adopted.
