By Bill W. Cooper
The Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL) has described the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as a complete ‘controlling puppet by Western Colonial powers that is used to cause destabilization and political instability in the sub-region’.
The group, through its Commander-in-Chief, Emmanuel Gonquoi, urged the ECOWAS to exercise self-examination and reflect on its founding manifesto and desist from being a ‘puppet of western colonial powers.’
In a statement issued Tuesday, August 8, 2023, Gonquoi maintained, “EFFL urges ECOWAS to exercise self-examination and reflect on its founding manifesto and desist from being a puppet of colonial powers. The too much Western influence on our democracy is weakening our leadership. For this, we all must rise up now and save the states.”
His statement came after the Pan-Africanist, in the strongest terms, categorically condemned the desire of ECOWAS and its Western Allies, for military intervention in Niger, following a recent coup in Niger.
On the recent Niger Coup, Gonquoi explained that while it is true that the EFFL believes in the tendency of democracy, the restoration of democracy or the word democracy should never be misused in the context of what is happening in Niger.
He said, “We strongly believe that any military intervention at the moment in Niger would be catastrophic in totality for the region. So, we insist that mediation efforts should continue with the military leaders in Niger and not any form of grandstanding by use of foreign military intervention.”
According to him, the region has become vulnerable to military actions because of terrible leaderships on the part of governments in power, and to stop these military leaders from seizing power in an undemocratic way, sitting Presidents must conform to the tenets of good governance.
Using Liberian as a current contemporary case study, the EFFL also disclosed that President George Weah weakened the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and violated the Laws of Liberia and stressed that nothing was done to stop the President for doing such an act.
He further emphasized that those are the signals that lead to military actions, emphasizing that the neo-colonial tactics by Western Allies in controlling ECOWAS for military intervention to promote their selfish interest should and must not be supported in Niger.
“EFFL demands ECOWAS to withdraw any form of military intervention supported by the West. The initial mediation efforts should continue with time table provided to the military leaders for smooth transition in returning the country to democratic rule,” he warned.
“It’s most likely that the elections in Liberia will be stolen in favor of President Weah and ECOWAS has said nothing about the violation by the Government of Liberia, and any form of neo-colonialism by Western Allies in the region will be resisted by the growing radical and Pan-Africanist organizations in the region” he cautioned.
Gonquoi also accused the ECOWAS of massive corruption, disclosing, “Under the watch of ECOWAS, corruption has become a way of life by governments, thereby denying their citizens better education, healthcare and job creation.”
“And testament to that, it is a fact that ECOWAS citizens are dying each day in the Atlantic Ocean, while dozens have gone missing in pursuit of better opportunities in the western world, and this unfortunately,” he added.
