ECOWAS and the promotion of democracy in Mali, Guinea and the Gambia

Abstract

This paper assesses ECOWAS efforts at promoting democracy and good governance in West Africa. It argues that enforcing the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance is a step in the right direction, though with some challenges of implementation and election monitoring in some places like Togo, Mali and the Gambia. With these challenges, however, the paper acknowledges the role of ECOWAS in taking the bold step to recognize and help to reclaim Barrow’s mandate as the winner in The Gambia against Yaya Jammeh’s refusal and the successful negotiation of the return to democratic rule in Mali. These are reflections of hope that the ECOWAS would no longer condone unconstitutional takeover of political power anywhere in the sub-region and would continue to ensure that democratic values are established in West Africa against the increasing wave of military interventions and insurgencies. It concludes that, in order for ECOWAS to deepen her efforts at promoting democracy and good governance and forestall recurrence of coups and temptations by politicians to temper with constitutions, a special mechanism to monitor and prevent such with strong political will should be adopted and institutionalized. This will allow member states, especially the citizens to have access to reporting and be able to challenge any anomaly in their countries through the ECOWAS platform.