The African Union (AU) Commission has lauded the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for its firmly grounded principles of zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government in the region.
Speaking at ECOWAS’ golden jubilee celebration at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia Thursday, the Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission Selma Malika Haddadi said the grouping has played an indispensable role in shaping Africa’s peace and security architecture in the last few decades.
She said regional organisations like Ecowas are not merely bureaucratic entities but also living institutions of hope, defenders of peace, and enablers of transformation.
“ECOWAS’ principles—firmly grounded in zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government, and the promotion of good governance—have reinforced the African Union’s own commitment to democratic norms and early response,” Haddadi said.
Haddadi said ECOWAS has taken courageous steps to promote peace across the region and demonstrated not only operational capability but moral leadership—anchoring its decisions in the values of peace, justice, and dignity.
She said ECOWAS has also distinguished itself in the domain of economic integration and facilitated free movement of persons, goods, and services.
“The ECOWAS passport; the biometric ID system; and the common external tariff are some of the manifestations of its deeper political will and institutional courage to build a united market, anchored in the aspirations of the African Continental Free Trade Area,” she added.
She said fifty years ago, ECOWAS was born out of the bold imagination of visionary leaders who understood that Africa’s future would be built not through isolation, but through integration.
Established in 1975, ECOWAS is a regional bloc of 15 West African countries with the primary goal of promoting economic integration across various sectors, including industry, transport, telecommunications, and energy.
MG/as/APA