The Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS have reaffirms their strong condemnation of unconstitutional changes of government and underscores the urgent need for collective action to entrench democracy and promote stability in the region.
In the final communique issued in Abuja, Nigeria after the 62nd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS held on 4 December 2022, the ECOWAS Leaders mandated the President of the Commission to take the necessary measures to support the two designated ECOWAS Champions, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana and H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, former President of the Republic of Niger, in their efforts to mobilise resources, including own resources, for the implementation of the Action Plan.
The Authority also reaffirmed its determination to scrupulously enforce the principle of ‘Zero tolerance for power obtained or maintained by unconstitutional means’ and to apply without exception the severest of sanctions for non-compliance.
“To this end, in accordance with the instructions issued at its 61″ Ordinary Session held in Accra, Republic of Ghana on 3 July 2022, the Authority directs the President of the Commission to continue discussions with Member States and if need be, with other stakeholders, with a view to reaching consensus on outstanding issues, to finalise the revision of the 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance,” the communique said.
The Authority further directed the President of the Commission to submit the draft revised Supplementary Protocol at its next session, while it decided to set up a regional force whose mandate will include the restoration of constitutional order where they are threatened in the sub-region.
On the Humanitarian Situationin the Region, The ECOWAS Leaders expressed deep concern at the worsening humanitarian situation in the region due to terrorism, climate change, deficits in agricultural production and the war in Ukraine and instructed the Commission to strengthen the response to address the humanitarian crisis, particularly among vulnerable populations and their host communities.
The Authority also instructed the Commission to work with partners to address the existing challenges and limitations to humanitarian access in conflict situations and enhance the climate resilience agenda to address the severe flooding in the region due to climate change.
On the transition processes in the region, The Authority was briefed by the ECOWAS Mediators on the transition processes in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali and the leaders took note of the recommendations made by the mediators.
On Burkina Faso, the Authority took note of the commitment of the new transition authorities to respect the 24-month transition timetable already agreed upon with ECOWAS, leading up to elections in July 2024, in an improved security climate and also welcomed the commitment of all the stakeholders in Burkina Faso to support the transition process.
They welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Burkina Faso and ECOWAS on the establishment of the Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism of the 24-month transition timetable in the country and encourage the authorities to work with the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism and ECOWAS for a successful transition.
On the humanitarian crisis, the Authority expressed deep concern over the increasingly fragile humanitarian situation and urged member states of ECOWAS, the African Union and the international community to support Burkina Faso to address the security challenges facing the country.
On Guinea, the Authority welcomed the consolidated 24-month transition timetable covering the 10 priority issues for the transition authorities, jointly developed with ECOWAS experts and insisted that the implementation of the 24-month transition timetable should start immediately, and not at a later date.
The Authority urged the Guinean authorities to conduct a national dialogue that includes all political actors without exception, and to guarantee the security and freedom of all participants.
On Mali, the Authority noted with satisfaction that the transition process is on course and that the transition authorities have made progress with the establishment of a Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism of the transition timetable comprising the government, ECOWAS, AU, UN, the ECOWAS Mediator, a Steering Committee and a Technical Committee.
The Heads of State and Government instructed the ECOWAS Commission to support the Malian authorities, together with the AU and the UN, to convene a meeting with financial and technical partners to mobilise the requisite resources to address the socio-political and security challenges to ensure that the 2024 transition deadline is met.
The Authority recalled and commended the various diplomatic efforts deployed by ECOWAS and individual member states as well as the United Nations in order to secure the release of the 46 Ivoirian Soldiers detained in Mali and called on the Malian Authorities to respond positively to the various calls for the release of the soldiers.
On Peace Support Operations in the Region, The Authority welcomed the contribution of the Peace Support Missions deployed by ECOWAS, particularly the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) and the Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea Bissau (SSMGB) and decided to extend the mandate of ECOMIG for a further year from 1″ January 2023 and instructed the Commission to consider, within that period, a gradual downsizing of the Mission and commence the training and reorientation of The Gambia Defence and Security Forces to enable them to play their constitutionally assigned roles in a democratic dispensation.
The Authority urged the Gambian Government to diligently implement the Security Sector Reforms (SSR) and instructs the Commission to ensure that the ECOMIG Force composition reflects a balanced regional outlook comprising troops from the ECOWAs Member States beyond the current countries participating in the Mission.
GIK/APA