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Pressure Mali To Return To Civilian Rule, Buhari Urge ECOWAS
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday called on West African leaders to exert pressure on the military leadership in Mali to ensure that the transition process in the country is not aborted.
He made the call in his statement delivered at the 59th Ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in Accra, Ghana.
The Nigerian leader spoke on the situation in Mali which was recently suspended from the regional bloc due to a military coup.
“At this Summit today, we are expected to review a number of important reports dealing with various issues of concerns to our organisation and people. In doing so, we must take realistic and practical decisions which will positively impact our citizens,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu.
President Buhari added, “Some of those decisions, necessarily will have to do with evolving political and security situations in our sub-region as well as evaluate the health of our organisation with the hope of repositioning to serve our people and sub-region better.
“While democracy continues to develop in our sub-region, recent events in Mali are sad reminders that vigilance remains a crucial imperative to protect people’s aspirations to freely choose the form of government they want.
“Pressures are needed to ensure that the transition process in Mali, which is halfway to its conclusion, is not aborted.
“A further slide in Mali could prove catastrophic to the Sub-region, considering that about half of that country is unfortunately under the grip of terrorists.”
The Nigerian leader, therefore, appealed to the military leadership in Mali to understand the critical state of their country, which he described as being ‘clearly under siege’.
Noting that the principal responsibility of the military must be to protect and guarantee the sovereignty of the West African country, the President cautioned them not to perpetuate acts that would facilitate the destabilisation and destruction of Mali.
“I urge our organization to remain engaged with all stakeholders in Mali through our astute Mediator, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who, I congratulate warmly, for his untiring efforts thus far.
“I encourage him to sustain these efforts to ensure that the transition is completed as scheduled,” he said.
A cross-section of participants at the 59th Ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in Accra, Ghana on June 19, 2021.
On Libya, President Buhari faulted the recent United Nations Resolution to expel all foreign fighters in Libya, without first ensuring that they were disarmed.
He lamented that while the decision was aimed at bringing about sustenance of peace in Libya, non-collaboration with regional stakeholders has created newer threats to peace, security and stability in the region.
The President warned that this could lead to lack of coordinated management of huge humanitarian crisis across the Sahel, North, Central and West Africa, including the Lake Chad region.
He said, “It is imperative that ECOWAS leaders, at this Summit, decide how the UN-Sub-regional organisations partnerships should be reviewed to address the dangers that this UN Resolution poses to the region.”
The statement by the Nigerian leader at the Summit also addressed other pertinent issues of concern in the organisation, including the ongoing institutional reforms in ECOWAS.
Declaring Nigeria’s unequivocal support to the reforms process, he said he looked forward to an ECOWAS that would be ‘fit for purpose’, delivering services to the satisfaction of the community citizens.
He commended the President of the Commission and his team, the Ad-hoc Ministerial Committee on Institutional Reforms as well as the Council of Ministers for the excellent report presented to the Authority of Heads of State.
In his capacity as the ECOWAS champion on the fight against COVID-19, President Buhari also drew attention to the need for more citizens in the region to be vaccinated, stressing the need for adherence to other non-pharmaceutical interventions.
He said the West African region was in the grip of a third wave, warning against complacency in national and regional initiatives to address the pandemic.
President Buhari reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the noble objectives of the organisation, saying, “I encourage us to take bolder steps towards ensuring that the organisation fulfils the aspirations of its founding fathers, which include a truly integrated sub-region, economically, politically, socio-culturally united and secured to permit its sustainable development and growth.”
June 19, 2021
Nigeria supports calls for direct election for ECOWAS Parliamentarians
Senate President Ahmad Lawan has said that Nigeria was in support of the calls for an electoral arrangement that will provide direct election for representations at the West African regional parliament.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Ola Awoniyi, Lawan’s Special Adviser on Media.
Lawan made the call when he hosted Seini Oumarou, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Niger, in Abuja.
“We are in support of creating an ECOWAS Parliament that has members that will be directly elected into the parliament so that the ordinary people will have a complete attachment with those that represent them in ECOWAS Parliament.”
Lawan said the current arrangement, in which parliament from each member-country sends representations, was working.
“But we hope that there will be an improvement over the arrangement to ensure that the ECOWAS sub-region is in such a manner and form that our Parliament, when it sits, will be giving us resolutions that will be useful in every part of the ECOWAS countries.”
The Senate President, who told his guest that the ECOWAS Parliament was truly representatives of the people in the sub-region, urged other parliaments in the sub-region to continually support the ECOWAS Parliament to perform its functions.
Lawan said Nigeria and Niger had a very long history of relations which dated back to pre-independence period adding that the peoples in the two countries share many things in common.
“A formal relationship was established in 1960 and we cherish this very good relation.
“The affinity between our two countries is very deep and we really cherish that. We take it very seriously that we will continue to be good neighbours,” Lawan said.
The Senate President also spoke on the bilateral cooperation and some key projects like the rail project initiated to facilitate trade and economic activities between the two countries.
Lawan also expressed his appreciation on the effort, cooperation and support of the Republic of Niger on the multilateral relations such as the involvement in the Multinational Joint Task Force to fight insurgency in the Lake Chad Region,
“We believe that together we can finish the insurgency in our region. We should continue to be determined that this war with insurgents is something our countries can win and that we will continue to support each other,” he said.
Earlier, the visiting Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Niger said he and his delegation were on a courtesy visit to the National Assembly.
He said that it was imperative to explore the good relationship between Nigeria and Niger to the betterment of the two peoples,
June 2, 2021
Buhari meets Jonathan, calls for resolution of Mali’s political crisis
President Muhammadu Buhari, has urged disputing parties in the ongoing political crisis in Mali to settle their differences and unite for the peace and unity of the country.
Buhari made this call at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday while receiving his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, who currently serves as Special Envoy and ECOWAS mediator to Mali.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement titled ‘President Buhari, Jonathan confer on crisis in Mali.’
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abuja called on the actors in the political crisis in Mali to come together for the peace and unity of the country.

“The President spoke when he received in audience former President Goodluck Jonathan who is Special Envoy and ECOWAS mediator to the West African country.”
The statement also quoted the President as saying that “a situation where most parts of the country are in the hands of insurgents calls for a consensus and restoration of peace, not a further escalation of the crisis.”
Jonathan reportedly briefed the President on the current situation in Mali after meeting with the key political actors ahead of the meeting of ECOWAS leaders under the Chairmanship of President Nana Akufo-Addo of the Republic of Ghana.
He added that the meeting of the regional leaders was necessary to urgently find an acceptable solution to the current impasse in the West African nation.
May 28, 2021
ECOWAS Court to deliver judgment on herdsmen killings
The ECOWAS Court of Justice, Abuja has fixed April 22, 2021 to deliver judgment in a case on killings, raping, maiming of Nigerians and other residents, and destruction of property across Nigeria by suspected herdsmen.
The court heard arguments in the case brought by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the Federal Government on Friday.
The Court adjourned the suit after hearing arguments from Solicitor to SERAP, Femi Falana, SAN, and the government lawyer, Mr Adedayo Ogundele.
In the suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/15/16, SERAP is seeking justice and accountability for the authorities’ failure to prevent, account for and investigate killings, raping, maiming of Nigerians and other residents, and destruction of property across the country by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators.
The suit read in part, “SERAP also contends that the obligation to secure the right to life is not confined to cases where it has been established that the killings were caused by an agent of the State. Nor is it decisive whether those affected or their families have lodged a formal complaint about the killings with the competent investigatory authority.
“It is contended that the mere knowledge of the killings by the military, police, herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators on the part of the authorities have ipso facto given rise to an obligation under Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to carry out an effective investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killings and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, and to provide reparations to victims.”
SERAP also contends that “the Defendant has a positive obligation to take measures to secure the right to life, right to security and dignity of the human person and right to property, and to prevent attacks and killings by the military, police, herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators across Nigeria.
“Human life has a special value and dignity which requires legal protection. It should be pointed out that those affected in the present case include the most disadvantaged and vulnerable sectors of society.”
“A fundamental notion of contemporary human rights law is that victims of violations enjoy an independent right to effective remedies. This idea is itself founded on another longstanding legal principle: ubi ius ibi remedium (there is no right without a remedy).”
SERAP, therefore, is asking the ECOWAS Court of Justice for “an order directing the Defendant and/or its agents individually and/or collectively to provide effective remedies and reparation, including adequate compensation, restitution, satisfaction or guarantees of non-repetition that the Honourable Court may deem fit to grant to the victims of attacks by the military, police, herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators.
February 5, 2021
ECOWAS Raises Concern over Growing Terrorism
The Presidents of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have expressed concern over growing terrorism and piracy violation in West Africa sub-region.
They also called on member nations to pay up their commitments to the fund set aside to fight terrorism in West Africa.
A communique issued yesterday after the 58th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS, which was held on January 23, 2021 via videoconference, under the chairmanship of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana, stated that the act of terrorist attacks in frontline countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, despite the intense efforts deployed by these countries has become worrisome.
It further noted with concern the increased spate of attacks, in the form of reprisals, against the civilian population as seen in the attack perpetrated in Nigeria by the Boko Haram on November 29, 2020, in the vicinity of Maiduguri, in Borno State, during which dozens of farmers and fishermen were killed, and in Niger Republic January 2, 2021, when armed individuals killed around 100 people in attacks on two villages in the Tillabéri region along the border with Mali.
The heads of state also reaffirmed their determination to relentlessly combat this scourge and expressed solidarity with the affected member states and their populations.
They noted that diligent and effective implementation of the 2020 – 2024 Action Plan to eradicate terrorism in the region has become a matter of categorical imperative.
They also appreciated the contribution of Ghana and Nigeria to the fund dedicated for the plan but however appealed to all member countries to pay up their pledges in other to eradicate terrorism.
In the light of this, Ghana’s President and Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, were appointed to lead the financial and technical resource mobilisation efforts.
The ECOWAS Presidents were also worried over the state of maritime security and safety in the Gulf of Guinea, noting that the significant contribution of maritime activities to the economic and social development of member states in the region is being jeopardised with the increasing number of illegal activities at sea, including maritime piracy, toxic waste dumping, illegal and unreported fishing.
They urged member states to fully implement the measures adopted at national, regional and continental levels to ensure maritime security and safety in the Gulf of Guinea.
They also called on member states to ratify the African Charter on Maritime Security and Safety (Lome Charter), which was adopted on October 15, 2016, and promote maritime cooperation among themselves.
The statement urged host countries of the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centres (MMCCs) and the West African Regional Maritime Security Centre (CRESMAO), to set up the necessary administrative and logistics arrangements that would ensure the full operationalisation of the centres, including the provision of accommodation for international staff deployed to the maritime centres in their respective countries.
They, however, welcomed the entry into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on January 1, 2021 and the ratification of the agreement by 12 out of the 15 ECOWAS member states.
They called on member states that are yet to ratify the agreement to do so in order to promote harmonious trade liberalisation in the region and maintain the integrity of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff.
They instructed the commission to continue to support member states in the development and implementation of national strategies for adaptation to the rules of the AfCFTA, while ensuring their consistency with the regional strategy developed to that effect.
They also urged the commission to commence advocacy campaigns in member states to ensure greater involvement of all stakeholders (governments, private sector and civil society).
They also charged the commission to continue to coordinate the positions and approaches of member states in negotiations under the AfCFTA.
They also endorsed the Declaration on Zero Tolerance for Sexual and Gender Based Violence and the Elimination of All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls in the ECOWAS region, advocation for the promotion of cooperation and collaboration across national borders between the ECOWAS’ member states and third countries, with a view to preventing and combating this scourge.
They congratulate the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the reopening of its land borders with its neighbours and also called on member states to continue their efforts in the effective implementation of the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Establishment.
January 26, 2021
Kaduna stops 160 Almajirai from 13 states, ECOWAS countries
Officials of the Kaduna State Government Task Force enforcing COVID-19 related regulations have rescued 160 almajirai among them, kids from Republics of Niger, Burkina Faso and Benin.
This revelation was contained in a statement titled, “KSG rescues 160 Almajirai,” by the Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the State Governor, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, in Kaduna on Friday.
Adekeye said the children were mostly toddlers rescued from different locations that were neither authorised and licensed as schools nor as children homes in the state.
According to him, the locations in which the children were found were operating in violation of regulations that had ordered the closure of all schools since December 2020.
He said keeping the children in unauthorised places was also in contravention of the state Land Use regulations and inconsistent with the policy of repatriating almajirai to their states and local governments.
The governor’s aide said in the latest exercise conducted by the task force, of the 160 children rescued, the state (Kaduna) topped the list with 68 children, followed by Kebbi State with 16 while Kano and Katsina had 15 each.
Others are Nasarawa 12, Zamfara 8, FCT Abuja 2, Sokoto1, Niger 5, Kwara 4, Kogi 2, Oyo 2 while foreign countries such as Republics of Niger, Burkina Faso andBenin had 5, 3, 1 respectively
He said the children were profiled after which they would be repatriated to their states of origin while children from ECOWAS countries would be handed over to officials of Nigerian Immigration Service.
He also disclosed that so far “as part of the implementation of this policy, Kaduna State has received 1,118 children to the state who were relocated from other states.
January 16, 2021
BREAKING: ECOWAS Court dismisses suit challenging Mali sanctions
The ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja on Friday dismissed a suit challenging the legality of August 18, 2020, sanctions imposed on Mali following the military coup against President Ibrahim Keita.
A three-man panel of the court led by Justice Dupe Atoki dismissed the suit, shortly after hearing interlocutory applications filed by two Malian associations seeking a suspension of the sanctions, and an accelerated hearing of the main suit.
The plaintiffs, Malian Coalition and the Consumers Association of Mali, both registered in the country, had in the suit marked ECW/CCJ/APP/36/20, claimed that the President of the Commission acted ultra vires in imposing the sanctions.
They argued that the procedure was not in conformity with the relevant ECOWAS texts under which sanctions should be brought against member states for failure to honour their obligations to the Community as this is reserved for Heads of State and Government of the Community.
At the hearing of the interlocutory applications earlier on Friday, the plaintiffs represented by Alfa Habib Kone, Abdrahamane Diallo and Oumar Tounkara, argued that the sanctions violated various rights of Malian citizens to free movement in the region.
The defendants sued in the suit – the ECOWAS Commission and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, one of the countries implementing the sanctions via closure of borders against Mali, also opposed the suit and urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to institute the action.
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September 25, 2020
ECOWAS: Osinbajo departs Nigeria for Ghana
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, will leave Abuja, the nation’s capital this morning for Accra, Ghana to attend an Extraordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the situation in Mali.
Prof. Osinbajo, who is representing President Muhammadu Buhari at the summit, will join other leaders in the sub-region to discuss the political crisis in Mali and the security situation in the sub-region at large.
His Spokesman, Laolu Akande, said the Accra meeting will form part of several efforts by leaders in the sub-region to resolve Mali’s political crisis.
While in Accra, the statement said the Vice President will also meet with representatives of the Nigerian community in Ghana to discuss issues bothering on their wellbeing in the West African country.
Accompanying the Vice President is the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubairu Dada.
Prof Osinbajo is expected back in Abuja today at the end of his engagements in Ghana.
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September 15, 2020
Ghana President, Nana Akufo-Addo appointed as ECOWAS chairman
The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, has been elected the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS.
Akufo-Addo was elected as the new ECOWAS Chair at the ongoing 57th Summit in Niamey, Republic of Niger.
The Ghana Ministry of Information announced this via its Twitter handle.
“President @NAkufoAddo has just been elected as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), at the ongoing 57th ECOWAS Summit, which is being held in Niamey, capital of Niger,” it tweeted.
During the summit, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), warned ECOWAS leaders against elongating their tenure in office beyond constitutional limits.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President made the call while presenting Nigeria’s General Statement.
The statement was titled “President Buhari urges ECOWAS leaders to resist temptation of tenure elongation.”
The statement quoted the President as saying that “It is important that as leaders of our individual member-states of ECOWAS, we need to adhere to the constitutional provisions of our countries, particularly on term limits. This is one area that generates crisis and political tension in our sub-region.
September 7, 2020
Mali Coup: Jonathan gives update after emergency meeting with ECOWAS leaders
Former Nigeria President and ECOWAS Envoy to Mali, Goodluck Jonathan, has provided the latest update on the Malian coup following an emergency meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and other Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS on Friday morning.
The summit, chaired by the current ECOWAS Chairman and President of Niger Republic, Mahmadou Issoufu, considered the report of Jonathan, who recently returned from Mali, where he interacted with the leadership of the military junta.
The ECOWAS leaders had earlier met via video conference on August 20, to deliberate on the same matter where they called for the immediate release of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali, and a return to constitutional order in the West African country.
The ousted Malian president, Keita, was released from detention by the military junta on August 27 in line with the request of the ECOWAS leaders.
Reacting to the development, Jonathan, in a tweet on his official Twitter handle on Friday afternoon said the ECOWAS leaders are optimistic of restoring constitutional order in Mali following the emergency meeting.
He tweeted: “I briefed an extraordinary session of the Authority of #ECOWAS Heads of State and Government this afternoon on the outcome of our recent engagements with the military rulers who are now in charge of affairs in the Republic of #Mali.
“I am pleased that our mediation, buoyed by the determination of #ECOWAS leaders to act decisively to achieve the restoration of constitutional order in #Mali Mali is already bearing fruits, following the release of ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.”
August 28, 2020