The Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the Economy Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it remains resolute to upholding the zero tolerance for acceding power through unconstitutional means in the region.
The Authority’s observation is enshrined in the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance as it notes the Memorandum on the political situation in Burkina Faso.
Presenting its report delivered by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi BROU, the Authority condemned the coup d’Etat and expressed deep concern over the resurgence of military coups in the region following the coup d’Etats in Mali on August 18, 2020, Guinea on September 5, 2021 and in Burkina Faso on January 24, 2022.
The coup d’Etat in Burkina Faso was a success following the resignation of President Roch Marc Christian Kabore under duress; however, the Authority is demanding the immediate release and protection of President KABORE and all other political detainees.
The Authority has reached the decision to suspend Burkina Faso from all ECOWAS Institutions and at the same time demand the immediate restoration of constitutional order by the militaries and urged them to remain a republican by focusing on the role of safeguarding the territorial integrity of the country.
The Committee of Chiefs of Defense Staff (CCDS) has been instructed to deploy a delegation to Burkina Faso to hold consultations with the military leaders in order to carry out an assessment of the security situation in the country and submit a report to be reviewed by the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
The Commission was to facilitate the deployment of a joint ECOWAS Ministerial Mission to Burkina Faso led by the Chairperson of Council of Ministers, United Nations Special Representative to West Africa and Sahel and the African Union yesterday, January 31, 2022 to assess the political situation and submit their report to the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
The Authority, having been informed on the recent developments on the political situations in the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Guinea requested the Commission to finalize the on-going revision of the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
Meanwhile, a decision has also been reached to convene an Extraordinary Summit on February 3, 2022 in Accra, Ghana to re-examine the situation in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali.