Senior political science lecturer at the University of Ghana (UG), Dr. Asah Asante has stated that Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders must stop what he describes as hypocrisy on their part with reference to political leadership.
The military chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are in an ongoing meeting in Accra, Ghana capital which stated on Thursday over the crisis in Niger on the deployment of standby force to Niger.
The Authority of Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS as part of decisions at its meeting held in Abuja Nigeria on 10th August 2023 has ordered the deployment of a standby force to Niger.
Meanwhile, the military juntas in Burkina Faso and Mali have said any forcible attempt to restore President Mohamed Bazoum in neighbouring Niger will be seen as a declaration of war on them.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey Friday, Dr. Ashanti stated that ECOWAS leaders have been silent on serious issues such as highway robbery, kidnapping among others could be the catalyst for some of the military coups in the sub-region.
“All manner of security set up in Niger, so these are some of the things going to impede upon the activities of the West African soldiers who will be marshalled there to engage in getting these people out. That is going to open a whole chapter of activities that may not inure to the benefit of the sub-region.
“These are the repercussions, your nationals are going to be affected, you are going to worsen the situation, the already volatile security situation there. You are going to create enemies for yourself with some of the countries which already have military within the bloc,” Dr. Asante stated.
He continued: “But it’s interesting that ECOWAS wants to go that way. Sometimes they themselves have created this opportunity for these things to fester. Look at countries within the sub-region which have gone on the third term agenda, changing the constitution and allowing the extension of their tenure and all that. Côte d’Ivoire is a typical example, what did ECOWAS do about that? That hypocrisy on their part must be stopped.”
