Liberia’s 147th Independence Day celebrations had President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in attendance and he delivered a message urging West Africans to stand against any form of military coups within the jurisdiction of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
President Akufo-Addo expressed his belief that Africans should not endorse what he refers to as the unconstitutional means of altering administrations within the sub-region. He emphasized that the eradication of insecurity in West Africa is crucial for fostering development and progress in the region.
“It is incumbent that we all stand together in our generation to defeat the menace of coups and guarantee the peace and stability which are essential to the rapid economic development of our areas which is the surest way to banish poverty in our time and the same vain, we must reiterate our commitment to democratic governance in the ECOWAS space and reject all unconstitutional changes of government.”
The President’s call comes just 24 hours after coup attempt in which presidential guards in Niger kidnapped President Mohamed Bazoum and blockaded his home as well as important ministries.
The African Union (AU) has denounced the incident in the meantime.
The soldiers’ behavior was labeled “unacceptable” by the AU.