ECOWAS condemns military coups but mute on constitutional coups - Academic

ECOWAS must improve systems for conflict resolution, Prof. Manuh

ECOWAS sanctions not effective, Prof. Manuh

Jihadist groups from Lydia main cause of instability in Africa, Prof. Manuh

A former director of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Prof. Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh, has said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is now a laughing stock due its inability to prevent coups in the sub-region.

According to her, the community does not act to resolve issues of member countries before they result in military overtakes but are quick to sanction countries affected by coups.

The former director of the UN Economic Commission for Africa who was reported to have said this by Asaase radio said,

“When ECOWAS imposes sanctions, people laugh because where were they when the other happenings were occurring? It puts their credibility in doubt,” she said on The Asaase Breakfast Show.

She, however, noted that although the coups are very worrying, they serve as an opportunity to improve the systems put in place to resolve issues in the sub-region.

“What is happening is very worrying but it gives us an opportunity to dialogue to improve our systems to reinvigorate confidence of the people in the government.

“We have a lot of institutions [to resolve conflicts] but we are not allowing them to work. When somebody changes the rules and runs for a third-term we didn’t hear ECOWAS condemning that… And what it does is that it eats into the credibility of ECOWAS and the African Union,” she said.

Prof Manuh stated that the Jihadist groups that emerged in Lidya are the main contributing factor to the instability on the African continent.

“The Jihadist groups that emerged from the fall of Libya and the massive arms that they control are all contributing to instability on the continent,” she noted.