Researcher: “ECOWAS is now in damage control mode”
Join us in our latest podcast episode as we explore the recent decision by the three military junta regimes of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to exit the West African bloc ECOWAS. This move highlights deepening regional divisions and raises concerns about escalating tensions in the Sahel. We analyse the roots of this rift and its implications for regional stability, examining the effectiveness of ECOWAS' toolbox of sanctions, the tactics behind the junta leaders' threat of exit, and the influence of anti-colonial, anti-French, and anti-European sentiments on popular support for the military coup leaders. We also consider the role of Russia in the situation. Lastly, we discuss the potential impact of this exit on the people in the region, where over 2.5 million individuals have been displaced in what has been described as one of the world’s most neglected humanitarian crises.
Our panel of experts for this episode:
- Jesper Bjarnesen, senior researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute
- Babatunde Fagbayibo, Professor of International Law at the University of Pretoria and visiting scholar at NAI
Reading list
Compiled by the NAI Library:
- The rise of a regional institution in Africa : agency and policy-formation within the ECOWAS Commission External link, opens in new window.
Lukas Maxmillian Müller Lindberg, 2023 - African military politics in the Sahel : regional organizations and international politics External link, opens in new window.
Katarina P. W Doring , 2024 - ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement and the AfCFTA in West Africa : Costs, Benefits and Challenges External link, opens in new window.
Samuel Kehinde Okunade & Olusola Ogunnubi (eds), 2023
More titles External link, opens in new window. on ECOWAS
Open access journal articles External link. on ECOWAS
More titles External link, opens in new window. on Regional integration
The Nordic Africa Podcast is a series of discussions where we talk to political scientists, anthropologists, economists and other researchers about current issues and trends in Africa. We analyse the choices of African leaders, we challenge dominant narratives about the continent, and occasionally, we look into the crystal ball to see where Africa is headed. Hosts Heba Habib and Henrik Alfredsson and guesting experts guide us toward a deepened understanding of Africa’s role on the global scene.
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