African Coups: Nigerian law firm wants President Akufo-Addo to take preventive steps
In their letter dated February 1, 2022, they are urging President Akufo-Addo to provide the leadership necessary for the sub-regional body to apply its treaties and protocols on democracy and human rights.
A Nigerian law firm, Falana & Falana’s Chambers has written to President Akufo-Addo, asking him to adopt preventive measures in his capacity as Chairman of the sub-regional body, ECOWAS, in stopping coups and unconstitutional change of governments.
In their letter dated February 1, 2022, they are urging President Akufo-Addo to provide the leadership necessary for the sub-regional body to apply its treaties and protocols on democracy and human rights.
“In light of the recent developments in Burkina Faso and elsewhere in the subregion, I am calling on the ECOWAS to show leadership and strong political will in this matter, and that you should, in your position as Chairman of the ECOWAS, convene an extra-ordinary session of the Authority of the ECOWAS in order to discuss the matter, and the recommendations proposed in this letter,” the letter signed by Femi Falana read in part.
In the past 18 months, military leaders have toppled the governments of Mali, Chad, Guinea, Sudan and Burkina Faso.
Just yesterday, there was a coup attempt in Guinea-Bissau, where at least six people have died, local media said.
According to the law firm, the “persistent failure of the leadership of ECOWAS to take a preventive and active role in dealing with these threats to democracy, human rights and rule of law has continued to contribute significantly to recurring coups and unconstitutional change of governments in many countries.”
In a list of recommendations, they suggest that member states of ECOWAS should end foreign domination of their economies because the rise of poverty in member states also contributed to military uprisings.
“In accordance with Article 21 (5) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights which has imposed a duty on all Governments in Africa to ‘eliminate all forms of foreign exploitation particularly that practised by international monopolies so as to enable their peoples to fully benefit from the advantages derived from their national resources.’
They further urged ECOWAS to revive, expand and fund the Multinational Joint Task Force (a combined multinational group made up of armed forces from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria).
ECOWAS has on the other hand announced that the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the sub-regional body will convene another Extraordinary Summit of the Authority on the political situation in Burkina Faso on February 3, 2022 in Accra.
