…ECOWAS declares state of emergency in West Africa over poor governance
…Flags Nigeria, others as highest in displaced population
By Henry Umoru, Nkiruka Nnorom & Favour Ulebor
ABUJA—The Senate has given President Bola Tinubu approval to send Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin as part of efforts to help restore calm and stability after last weekend’s attempted military takeover.
The endorsement was announced yesterday by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, at plenary, following a review of the president’s letter in the Committee of the Whole, in accordance with Section 5, Part II of the Constitution. Lawmakers voted unanimously to support the deployment, effectively granting National Assembly’ sauthorisation for the regional security mission.
Akpabio hailed the resolution as timely, stressing that unrest in any neighbouring country could easily destabilise the wider region.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” he stated.
The Senate president said Nigeria had an obligation to stand with its partners under the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, framework.
The Senate is expected to immediately forward its formal approval to Tinubu.
Tinubu had, in his letter to the upper chamber, requested permission for the deployment, noting that Nigeria bore a historic responsibility to assist Benin under existing ECOWAS security arrangements. He warned that the situation required “urgent external intervention” to prevent further deterioration.
The attempted coup in Benin occurred on Sunday when a faction of soldiers identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” appeared on national television to declare that they had resolved that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic”. The move was swiftly contained, as Benin’s loyal military forces pushed back and reclaimed control.
“The regular army is regaining control. The city (Cotonou) and the country are completely secure. It’s just a matter of time before everything returns to normal. The clean-up is progressing well,” sources close to Talon had said.
Following the failed takeover, ECOWAS announced plans to deploy its standby force. “After consultation among members of the Mediation and Security Council at the level of Heads of State and Government, the Chair of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government has ordered the deployment of elements of the ECOWAS Standby Force to the Republic of Benin with immediate effect.
“The Regional Force shall be made up of troops from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, and the Republic of Ghana.
“The Force shall support the Government and the Republican Army of Benin to preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin,’’ the bloc said.
ECOWAS declares state of emergency in West Africa over poor governance
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has declared a state of emergency in the region, even as it named Nigeria, Niger Republic and other countries in the Sahel as housing the highest number of displaced persons in West Africa.
Omar Touray, president of ECOWAS commission, made the declaration yesterday during the 55th session of the mediation and security council, at the ministerial level in Abuja.
Touray said the developments highlighted the “imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community.”
He told the ministers that elections scheduled for next year in Guinea, the Republic of Benin, the Gambia and Cape Verde might face serious pressure if preventive measures were not taken.
“Faced with this situation, Excellencies, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency,.
“Despite the best of efforts of our community to establish constitutional convergence principles, and to have a support programme for elections in our region in order to safeguard our democratic credentials and stability, we have continued to witness political practices that violate these principles. “ he said.
He, therefore, called for more frequent meetings of the Mediation and Security Council over the next year to effectively respond to threats
He stressed that member states must pool resources to confront terrorism and banditry, while the Council must consistently monitor political developments and guide regional action, especially on managing the situation in Guinea Bissau and Benin, ensuring credible transitions, addressing exclusion in elections, reinforcing the fight against terrorism, and maintaining unity despite geopolitical pressures.
“We also have to negotiate with our neighbours, the Alliance of Sahel States, AES, particularly the terms of our security cooperation as we continue to see the devastating effect of terrorists’ groups along our borders with them.
“We must confront these threats with the attention they deserve. We must pool our resources to confront the threats of terrorism and banditry, which operate without respect for territorial boundaries,” he added.
Touray tasks the council with maintaining unity within ECOWAS.
On the surge in number of displaced persons, he said recent assessments showed a sharp rise in humanitarian pressure, with Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali topping the list of countries with the highest number of internally displaced persons.
According to him, “approximately 7.6 million individuals are forcibly displaced across the region,” a situation he described as alarming and unsustainable.
Dr Touray explained that of this figure, more than 6.5 million were internally displaced persons driven from their homes by violence, insecurity and political instability.
He noted that the crisis cut across several ECOWAS states, but said countries battling insurgency and armed groups were the hardest hit.
Citing figures from the UNHCR Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa, he said the region also hosts over one million refugees and asylum seekers.
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