By Mustapha Jarju
Dr. Ibrahima Kane, senior adviser Open Society Africa has emphasized that sanction actions taken by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against government coup leaders are not implemented.
He made the statement at a press conference organized by Open Society Africa on Thursday as a side event at the ongoing post-COVID-19, Conflict, Coups, and Close Space, on the margins of the 73rd session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights.
“Mali junta leader was given term limit for the transitional period by the regional body but the coup leaders refused and ECOWAS came up with sanctions of closing borders and suspending all the economic transactions among others with the country, but the decisions is yet to be implemented,” he pointed out.
He further if ECOWAS made its position and gives a mandate when a state doesn’t compromise its obligation to take that country to the ECOWAS Court of Justice, adding when an ECOWAS court makes a decision against a country and that country fails to comply with its obligation, the ECOWAS commission should take up action against that country.
He stressed that ECOWAS has failed to take the members to face Justice since the existence of the regional body for what reason nobody knows.
Hanna Foster, Executive Director African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies said, some of the coups in Africa happened because they don’t have hope in the democratically elected government.
“The coup that happened in Kenya there was bloodshed because they do not have hope in their judiciary, if they knew that the judiciary will help them to solve it, they would have accepted, and the same thing happens to Nigeria therefore is it important for the citizens to be empowered,” she pointed out.
For his part, George Kegoro Director of Policy and Engagement Open Society Africa said coups are not the solution but will cater to problems that couldn’t satisfy the needs of the people, insecurity, and political instability among others, which is affecting most countries in Africa.
He added that there are a lot of possibilities, especially in other African countries where people change their government through elections where they had a transition to the new government. He calls on Africans to adopt than engage in coups.