ECOWAS Lifts Sanctions Imposed on Niger

At an emergency session held last weekend, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) lifted the economic and travel sanctions it had imposed on Niger last July after the country’s military leaders removed President Mohamed Bazoum. At the same meeting, it was decided to lift the financial and economic sanctions on Guinea, and to cancel a ban on the recruitment of Malians in professional positions within ECOWAS.

In January, Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, which had already been hit with sanctions, decided to leave the regional bloc and to form their own Alliance of Sahel States. All three have severed ties with France and moved closer to Russia, in what can be seen as one more element of the discrediting of the “unipolar world” in Africa.

Not only did the withdrawal of Niger begin to threaten the existence of the regional organization, it also created hardship for the residents of northern Nigeria who were dependent on cross-border trade with Niger. But an even more serious consequence was the suspension of security cooperation, since terrorist groups are targeting most ECOWAS member states. All three countries have been urged to reconsider their withdrawal from the bloc.

Although the economic measures against Niger “will be lifted with immediate effect”, targeted sanctions on individuals as well as political sanctions remain in force. There is strong evidence to presume that pressure to lift sanctions was exerted by Nigeria’s military and security establishment. On Feb. 15, the former Head of State of Nigeria, Yakubu Gowon, who is also a retired Commander of the Nigerian army, wrote a letter to the leaders of the member state of ECOWAS urging them to “immediately consider the lifting of all sanctions that have been imposed on Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger,” or see the regional group lose credibility.

Nigeria’s military chief, General Christopher Musa gave a lengthy interview to Al Jazeera (Feb. 21) calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict opposing ECOWAS to Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, emphasizing that all three countries play an important role in the security of the region, and warning that the region could become a center of “proxy wars”.