ECOWAS needs our collective wisdom, not a shared amnesia, By Owei Lakemfa
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
Analysis
Named sources
Context piece
- ECOWAS leaders met in Sierra Leone, issuing a communique on regional issues but facing criticism for overlooking democratic backsliding and security concerns.
- The author questions ECOWAS's emphasis on reducing airfares instead of developing railways and coastal transport, calling the organization
West African leaders convened in Lungi, Sierra Leone, on July 19, issuing a statement that glossed over significant democratic deficits and escalating security crises within the region. The communique, typically bland, touched on a single currency and expressed satisfaction with "steady progress made in democratic consolidation and political governance." However, critics argue this declaration rings hollow.
the 51-year-old ECOWAS is dozing.
Owei Lakemfa, writing for Premium Times, points to Guinea-Bissau's military rule and Guinea's transition from a junta to civilian leadership without free choice as evidence against democratic consolidation. He also criticizes the civilian coups in Côte d'Ivoire and Togo, where leaders have subverted term limits, highlighting Faure Gnassingbé's 21-year tenure since a 2005 coup. Lakemfa contends that ECOWAS leaders "lied" about the region's peace and stability, citing the "continued deterioration of the security situation" in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, marked by terrorist attacks.
the steady progress made in democratic consolidation and political governance, as well as the relative stability and resilience of the region, amidst increasing geopolitical and geostrategic pressures.
The article further disputes ECOWAS's claims regarding Guinea-Bissau's political transition. While ECOWAS noted efforts toward a constitutional referendum and general elections by 2026, Lakemfa asserts there is no transition. Instead, he claims the opposition defeated incumbent President Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló in the November 2025 presidential election, but Embaló is preventing the president-elect, Fernando Dias da Costa, from taking office. This situation, Lakemfa argues, exemplifies the disregard for electoral will within the region.
ECOWAS leaders lied when they talked about “the consolidation of democracy, peace, security… in the region.”
Beyond political governance, the author questions ECOWAS's priorities regarding regional transportation. He wonders why the focus remains on reducing airfares rather than investing in crucial infrastructure like railways and coastal transport systems, especially since eleven ECOWAS countries are coastal. Lakemfa suggests that the 51-year-old ECOWAS is "dozing," failing to address fundamental developmental needs and the stark realities of political instability and insecurity that West Africans experience daily.
the continued deterioration of the security situation across the region, particularly in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, characterized by attacks, kidnapping and disruptive operations by Terrorist Armed Groups, TAGs…
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Premium Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
More Stories
From Our Blog
How the Same Story Looks Different in Different Countries
What Gets Lost (and Found) When News Is Translated
The Critical Role of Diaspora Media in Global News
What Travellers Should Know About Countries with Restricted Press
A Digital Nomad's Guide to Following Local News
