ECOWAS was built on the principles of Pan-Africanism and non-alignment, but geopolitics and coups have challenged both of those pillars of the organisation, writes Abubakar Usman.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is currently facing an existential crisis. Military coups in the member states of Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger have sparked division within the bloc. In response to these coups, ECOWAS imposed stringent sanctions and suspended the affected countries from the organisation. These military-led governments retaliated by withdrawing from ECOWAS and forming a rival organisation known as the Sahel Alliance.
As ECOWAS approaches its 50th anniversary, why are these divisions appearing now and why weren’t they sparked by earlier military coups in the region?
The answers lie in two key factors. First, the region’s drift away from Pan-Africanism has weakened the ideological foundation that previously unified the region. Second, shifting global political dynamics and the alignment of ECOWAS members with major world powers has introduced new external influences, exacerbating divisions within the organisation.
Pan-African multilateralism
The wave of African independence that began in the 1950s was largely driven by the Pan-African movement. This was a collection of beliefs, actions, and movements aimed at promoting the liberation and unity of people of African descent. Prominent figures such as Marcus Garvey, George Padmore, W.E.B. Du Bois, Kwame Nkrumah, and Jomo Kenyatta were at the forefront of advocating for Pan-Africanism. Nkrumah, a founding father of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), emphasised the importance of African unity, famously stating:
“I can see no security for African states unless African leaders, like ourselves, have realised beyond all doubt that salvation for Africa lies in unity…for in unity lies strength, and as I see it, African states must unite or sell themselves out to imperialist and colonialist exploiters for a mess of pottage, or disintegrate individually.”
This commitment to Pan-African ideals inspired the formation of regional blocs aimed at accelerating African development, enhancing security, and resisting foreign interference. These efforts led to the establishment of regional organisations such as the OAU (later the African Union), ECOWAS, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Kwame Nkrumah, a towering figure in the promotion of Pan-Africanism, was also a key advocate for non-alignment. He called for balanced superpower influences, seeking aid for Africa’s development without political conditions, and promoting peace and cooperation. The twin principles of Pan-Africanism and non-alignment were instrumental in the formation of African regional blocs, including ECOWAS.
Nkrumah, along with other notable African leaders, envisioned a united Africa where nations could achieve prosperity together. Nkrumah went beyond rhetoric, insisting that Ghana’s Constitution include a provision for surrendering national sovereignty in favour of regional integration. It was this vision and aspiration, championed by leaders like Nkrumah, that ultimately led to the establishment of ECOWAS.
Togo’s President Gnassingbé Eyadéma, alongside Nigeria’s President Yakubu Gowon, toured West Africa to garner support for the formation of ECOWAS, echoing Kwame Nkrumah’s sentiments on African unity. Emphasising the importance of regional cooperation, President Eyadéma warned:
“In this world where the rich countries are not yet prepared to lend an attentive ear to the legitimate demands of our states, African countries must become conscious of the fact that their development can be assured only by themselves and that each of our economies considered individually is not capable of achieving this ideal. We are therefore destined to live together if we really want to prosper.”
Alignment
Established in 1975 during the height of the Cold War, ECOWAS emerged as a unifying force for West African nations striving for economic and political solidarity. Despite the polarised global landscape dominated by the US-led West and the Soviet-led communist bloc, ECOWAS member states remained committed to the principles of Pan-Africanism and non-alignment. All ECOWAS members became signatories to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), underscoring their collective desire to steer clear of superpower influences and focus on regional self-determination and cooperation.
The conclusion of the Cold War at the end of the 20th century caused a significant evolution within ECOWAS, expanding its mandate beyond economic integration to encompass security and political governance. This transformation was formalised through the ECOWAS Revised Treaty ratified in 1993, likely influenced by the West’s triumph and the US’s emergence as the sole superpower. The revised treaty introduced the promotion and consolidation of democracy within member states as a fundamental principle of the organisation.
In 2001, ECOWAS further solidified its commitment to democratic governance by adopting the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. This protocol established a zero-tolerance policy for any power obtained or maintained through unconstitutional means, emphasising the organisation’s dedication to upholding democratic standards and ensuring political stability across West Africa.
However, the organisation’s increasing alignment with Western-liberal values has come under scrutiny with the recent resurgence of global power politics. Russia, intent on rekindling its Cold War rivalry with the US, along with China’s growing economic influence, has brought the politics of alignment back to West Africa. Through the Wagner Group, Russia has aided military coups in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—three ECOWAS member states—and helped establish a rival regional bloc known as the Sahel Alliance. This development has introduced alignment politics to a region that avoided such dynamics during the height of the Cold War.
Unsurprisingly, the US and Western powers have aligned with ECOWAS in its conflict with the military-led member states. Russia has openly supported these regimes, effectively dividing the region along the lines of US-Russia rivalry. Both superpowers have been actively working to secure African allegiances, with the US hosting the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in December 2022, attended by 49 African nations, including all ECOWAS members. Meanwhile, Russia held its first Africa Summit in 2019, drawing 43 heads of state, including 10 from West Africa. However, as the rivalry escalated, particularly in the wake of ongoing military coups with alleged Russian backing, the second Russia-Africa Summit in July 2023 saw significantly lower participation, with only 15 African heads of state in attendance, and just four from West Africa.
ECOWAS now faces an existential threat from ongoing military coups and the emergence of the Sahel Alliance, formed by military-led states. The organisation’s current crisis can be traced back to its departure from the Pan-African values and non-alignment principles championed by its founding fathers—a departure that seems to fulfil Nkrumah’s prophecy that without unity, African states would disintegrate individually.
To ensure its survival, ECOWAS may need to reassess its strict stance on military coups, refocus on economic cooperation, security, and other forms of regional integration, and avoid entanglement in alignment politics. By improving governance and performance in democratic regimes, the organisation can strengthen the appeal of democracy.
Photo credit: Africa Renewal used with permission CC BY-NC-SA 2.0