Leonardo Santos Simão, who heads the UN Workplace for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), informed the Security Council that by “renouncing ECOWAS”, the three military-led governments could be “relinquishing key advantages” together with regional integration, freedom of motion, safety cooperation and an built-in regional financial system, hurting each themselves and remaining ECOWAS members.
The three transitional governments severed ties with ECOWAS after senior officers staged army takeovers in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively.
Army leaders have consequently “postponed the return to constitutional rule and sparked concern of extended uncertainty”, as civic area “continues to shrink” mentioned the UN Particular Consultant.
Instability within the Sahel
The transitional regimes have added to instability within the already precarious and huge Sahel area, marked by growing insecurity, worsening humanitarian crises, and sluggish financial progress exasperated by political vulnerability, he mentioned.
Roughly seven million individuals are displaced throughout the international locations of West Africa or have fled throughout borders, and these numbers are solely persevering with to rise.
Residents are additionally coping with a widespread lack of electrical energy, closure of well being centres, and a shutdown of over 8,000 faculties, depriving a whole bunch of 1000’s of youngsters entry to training and undermining the inspiration of regional growth.
Mr. Simão remarked in his handle that it stays “very regarding” that the humanitarian response plan launched by the UN is funded at solely about 15 per cent.
Rising democratic practices
On a extra optimistic word amid profound challenges, Mr. Simão emphasised the outstanding strides in direction of strong democratic frameworks made by some West African States.
He praised Mauritania, Senegal, Ghana, and Liberia for his or her current profitable presidential elections, particularly applauding the ladies who stood as presidential candidates in Senegal amid the in any other case low illustration of feminine management in West Africa.
Mr. Simão additionally highlighted the persistence of justice and accountability on the coronary heart of many regional conflicts. The continuing trial in Guinea on the brutal army repression 15 years in the past, for instance, “exposes the deep societal rifts and the need for justice and reconciliation.”
In the meantime, in Liberia, the institution of a Battle and Financial Crimes Court docket greater than 20 years after the top of the civil struggle there, acts as “a car for nationwide therapeutic and reweaving the material of society.”
The choice by Cameroon and Nigeria final month to pursue a plan to settle border disputes throughout the framework of the Cameroon-Nigeria Combined Fee, chaired by Mr. Simão himself, as a substitute of referring again to the International Court of Justice, was additionally recommended.
‘Staying the course’
Finally, towards a backdrop of instability, the Particular Consultant affirmed that UNOWAS will “keep the course.”
“I shall proceed advocating for democratic rules and practices, constructing consensus, selling good governance, and insisting on the observance of human rights and humanitarian rules,” he mentioned.
Furthermore, he dedicated UNOWAS to proceed resilience-building towards more and more risky local weather situations which harm meals safety and inter-communal conflicts, in addition to to harnessing the facility of ladies in public life and youth empowerment.
“I can guarantee you that the United Nations continues to be regarded up as a significant rescuer in these difficult instances, because the peoples within the area count on us to embody the values of humanity, neutrality and impartiality” Mr. Simão concluded.
Watch the Particular Consultant briefing the media after the Council assembly, right here:
