ECOWA holds extraordinary summit in Accra
There have been 3 coups in ECOWAS countries in recent years
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated the commitment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure that all countries in the sub-region return to democratic rule.
Speaking at the opening ceremony at the 61st ordinary session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government held on 3 July 2022 in Accra, Akufo-Addo said the leaders will be hearing from all the envoys sent to countries under military rule to determine the next steps forward.
“As you recall, on 4 June 2022 in our extraordinary summit here in Accra, we discussed extensively, the political and social situation in our region with emphasis on the current political transition in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso emanating from the unfortunate coup d’états in those countries.
“We decided to re-examine this matter during this ordinary summit. ECOWAS remains committed to accompanying these sister nations to return to normal constitutional democratic order.
“We will have the opportunity to hear from our mediators who will advise us on the latest developments in these countries to enable us to take the appropriate decisions,” the president said.
The West African sub-region has recently seen some political upheavals including three military overtakes in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, as well as an attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau.
Also, Jihadist activities have increased in the sub-region with recent attacks in Burkina Faso close to Ghana’s border and also in Mali.
Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau President, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, has been unanimously elected as the next Chairman of the Authority of Heads of States and Government of ECOWAS, replacing President Akufo-Addo.
The heads of state of ECOWAS have also lifted sanctions against Mali after the military leadership of the country come up with a 4-year transition plan to usher the country into a democracy.
The ECOWAS special envoy to Guinea, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has announced his decision to step due to failure on the of the leadership of Guinea to accept an envoy from the community because it claims there is no political crisis in the country.
Also, Burkina's junta proposed a constitutional referendum in December 2024 and legislative and presidential elections in February 2025, which was approved.
Meanwhile, GhanaWeb is accepting nominations for the prestigious GhanaWeb Excellence Awards – Youth Edition. Watch how you can nominate from the video below.
IB/SARA
Coup leaders in some West African countries