By Suleima Umaru
This is not the best of times for the 15-member- nation of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, an economic bloc, comprising of 12 French-speaking countries and three Anglophone countries, under the Chairmanship of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria.
The founding -fathers main objective of promoting regional integration through cooperation on economic, social and agricultural fields and adopting a single currency, eco appears to have been defeated to competing interests of the French speaking and the anglo-phone countries.
The eco, was to have been replace the CFA franc, used in the Francophone countries in the West and Central African sub-regions but the target remains a still-born due to the manipulation and persistent France and North American country of United States, US, interference.
Over the course of its 50 years of existence, ECOWAS has remained a lame duck due to the non-commitment of the French -speaking countries which still being controlled by France.
There have been instances I the past where decisions taken at the Authority of Heads of State and Government meetings of the ECOWAS, had leaked to France, were never implemented because of France interference throwing these decisions to the thrash can of the dust bin. It was not surprising why the Francophone countries had preferred trading with France as their currency CFA France, are pegged to the euro, managed by France
This many have informed why political analysts had described French-speaking countries as a weak spot of the ECOWAS. Although the Francophone countries may have been granted Independence by former colonists in the 1960s, and made to sign a defense and Debt Pact but they were not spared from the payment colonial tax claimed to be for the benefits of slavery and Colonization.
France may have taken advantage of the defense pact to establish military bases in these French-speaking countries while the Debt pact makes it mandatory for the countries to deposit 50% of their foreign exchange reserves in France Central Bank.
Taking advantage that the West and Central African member- nations of the West and Central African sub-regions thunder its control are poor and that their political Leaders cannot effectively mobilize the resources to finance the development of their respective countries may have given France the ample opportunity to establish military bases in these Francophone countries ostensibly to provide security for their political leaders and evacuation of citizens during crisis as well as take over the control and ming of gold, uranium, lithium and other mineral resources in these countries without interference, to recover their huges debts.
Signs that the 50-year-old ECOWAS, may have run into stormy waters emerged when the Sahel region countries of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, withdrew their countries’ membership from the Organization to form the Alliance for Sahel States, AES, in 2013.
It was seen by many as a shift away from traditional regional and western allies. The three Sahel countries which were said to have signed a confederation treaty were said to have also signed a defense treaty meaning that an attack on any member country would be considered as an attack on all and would be met with equal force.
The Sahel countries may have sent a message to the former colonialists that the era of dictating how their countries affairs would be run is over as they were said to have ended honouring the provisions of the defense pact which had made it possible for France to establish military bases in the Francophone countries but all that has become history.
The ongoing massive infrastructural development in these Sahel countries between 2022 and now and the improved security in the region that had been besieged over the years by Jihadists was an indictmenton France that its military intervention to contain the activities of the jihadist was an apology despite the billions of US dollars made from the mining and export of their mineral resources, particular, gold, diamond, uranium and lithium, and other mineral resources lubricate their economy.
Given the impressive Leadership skills that had been demonstrated by Ibrahim Traore, an Army Captain and interim President of Burkina Faso, in piloting the affairs of AES, over the last two years may have informed why President Mahamat Idris Derby, had given his words to withdrew TChad membership of ECOWAS, to join the AES.
As a prelude to joining the new regional economic block, President Derby, had terminated the defense pact with France, following the tide of anti- French sentiment in the African Continent.
This may have encouraged Chadian President to have gone a step further to order the immediate closure of the former colonists Kosei Camp, in Djamena, the country’s Capital, thus ending the 60-year France military presence in the West African country.
Besides, closing down all the military bases in Djamena and other parts of the country run by France, the Chadian Government was said to have also cut all other ties with France to be given express approval to join the AES. Even the North African country of Morocco, according a Diplomatic source had shown interest of joining the AES.
Senegal, may not have shown any interest to join the AES, regional economic block, but it is currently collaborating with the Burkina Faso military to fight the Jihadists waging war against the country. The message is very clear that that ECOWAS, is on the path of disintegration. This is where the Leadership of the ECOWAS, may have to fully step in to work on the French -speaking countries to save the regional economic from collapse.
President Mahama Dramani, of Ghana, may have known that the AES, is a big threat to the ECOWAS, that he had initiated moves ‘’to reintegrate the Sahel countries including Chad, which had also withdrawn its membership of the Organization back to the fold to strengthen the West African economic block.
The Ghanaian, President was said to have appointed a special envoy who was said to have started high level discussions with the Sahel countries’ Authorities but that was how far the Ghanaian President could go.
The trio of Capt. Traore, of Burkina Faso, who is in the good books of the Africans in Diaspora and the Youths, and Generals Abdulrahmane Tchiani of Niger and Assimi Goita, of Mali, are not likely to change their mind to return to ECOWAS, for now because of the overbearing influence of France and the US, on the Organization but to further strengthen AES, and win other new members from West African subregion. The French Authorities may have come to the conclusion that the AES, has become a big force to be reckoned with that it had made efforts to frustrate the Leadership. It was said to have rejected giving VISAs, to officials of the Sahel countries Government ad indigenes applying with the AES, international passport on grounds that it has not been officially recognized in the international scene, insisting that applicants must present the ECOWAS, international Passport. Given that the Burkinabe Foreign ministry officials are not ready to protest, they were said to turned to Turkey and other friendly countries, which may have forced French the embassy officials at Ouagadougou to make a quick amend to avoid aggravating the strained relationship between the countries.
Barack Obama, a former President of the US, who was said to have master-minded the killing of President Mummar Quadafi and destruction of Libya, may have known that African Leaders and the Youths are on the red alert and would not want history to repeat itself in the African country, again, was said to have held a closed -door meeting with Capt. Ibrahim, in an undisclosed location in Ouagadougou, amidst tight security. The message was very clear: AES regional economic bloc has become a force that cannot be ignored by the Western powers.
as Presidents Emmanuel Macron of France and Donald Trump, of the US, who were said to have made several attempts with their African collaborators may have realized that it is a mission impossible and are now looking out for ways to normalize relationship with the AES, countries which are not ready to beg for aid or seek for loan from the World Bank, with the support of France as some other African countries go cap in hand begging.
Presidents Alassane Quatara of Cote de’Ivoire and Willian Ruto of Kenya, who had at different times hosted Gen. Michael Langley, Commander of the US, African High Command, AFRICOM, with headquarters in Stuggart, Germany, appears to have softened in hardline position against the AES, countries, Leaders, particular, Capt. Traore, as he sells President Trump to the African Leaders, describing him as a good Leader and one to work with instead of Vladimir Putin of Russia or the Asian country of China .
Even a delegation that was said to have been sent by the US, President to see pass a message to Captain Traore were disappointed as he was said to have refused see them but raised a Team to meet the US, delegations. This is where the Leadership of ECOWAS and African Union had to sit up to make the Organizations formidable to call the bluff of the Western Powers, Capt. Traore of Burkina Faso, and the arrowhead had done.
