The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has stated that countries in the West African sub-region are suffering the most from the political unrest in the area.
The union said that between 2021 and 2023, there had been five coup d’etats in the four ECOWAS member states, which had led to an unmanageable rise in the price of market goods such onions and tomatoes, which are both heavily produced in Niger and Burkina Faso, respectively.
“As a result of insecurity and instability, economic activities in the region have been disrupted”, Ambassador Mrs. Perpetua O. Dufu, the Coordinating Director, Multilateral and International Organisation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration stated.
She addressed the inaugural session of a one-day awareness workshop about ECOWAS protocols on Monday in Sunyani.
Ambassador Dufu also highlighted the troubling humanitarian situation, expressing concern about the potential increase in refugees entering the country and the disruption of travel by both land and air throughout the region.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, in collaboration with Media Response, a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting regional integration in the sub-region, coordinated the workshop.
Its purpose was to educate governmental and non-governmental entities on the ECOWAS protocols and their advantages.
Ambassador Dufu emphasized that without peace and stability, economic prosperity couldn’t be achieved or maintained in the sub-region due to widespread conflict and instability. She noted that regional integration was closely connected to maintaining peace.
She noted that the region was currently facing significant challenges, with many states experiencing insecurity, conflict, violent extremism, and even unconstitutional changes of government, leading to political instability in some areas.
The Niger coup on July 26, 2023, further highlighted the necessity of protecting democracy and upholding democratic principles within the sub-region.
Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister, remarked that the ECOWAS protocols offered a roadmap for addressing issues like border security and terrorism in the region.
“By collaborating with agencies of neighbouring countries, in our case La Cote d’Ivoire and regional partners, we can enhance intelligence-sharing, joint patrols and coordinated efforts to counteract potential threats,” she said.
The Regional Minister instructed the members of the Municipal and District Security Councils (MUSECs/DISECs), the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), and the Regional Security Committee to familiarize themselves with the protocols in order to help identify and prevent security threats in the region.