Tag Archives | Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

An increasingly assertive group of African nations are constraining the ability of Canadian companies to profit from resources.

These are dark days for the empire.

Land area under ECOWAS, which is condemned by West Africa’s popular movements as an agent of French imperialism, has been reduced to less than half after their withdrawal.

In this venture, ECOWAS has been fully supported by the United States and Europe, leading many to suspect it is being used as an imperial vehicle to stamp out anti-colonial projects in West Africa.

Following the military coup in Niger, ECOWAS decided to impose humiliating and illegitimate sanctions on Niger at the end of the Heads of State conference in Abuja on July 30.

France refuses to withdraw its ambassador and troops from Niger, and reiterates its threat of supporting military invasion by ECOWAS, while the regional bloc itself is “determined to bend backwards to accommodate diplomatic efforts”.

Senegalese opposition figure Ousmane Sonko has been on hunger strike for over two weeks against his indictment on new charges. Widely considered the main opposition contender for the 2024 elections, Sonko’s arrest has sparked deadly protests amid anti-government and anti-French anger

Of late however there has been a popular anti-imperialist upsurge in several countries of Francophone Africa. In Guinea, Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso, new anti-imperialist governments have come to power in the last couple of years that want French troops out of their countries; and in Mali they have even succeeded in getting French troops out.

The recent wave of coups in West Africa must be understood in the context of widespread discontent with the ruling elites and their collaboration with imperialism.

This isn’t what Western countries wanted to sow in West Africa, writes Owen Schalk.

Niger is shaping up to be the surprising frontline of the new Cold War.

Ivory Coast President says the aim of the military operation is to “restore” ousted president Mohamed Bazoum.

Since the overthrow of Niger’s U.S.-friendly government, West African nations of the ECOWAS bloc have threatened an invasion of their neighbor. Before leading the charge for intervention, ECOWAS chair Bola Tinubu spent years laundering millions for heroin dealers in Chicago, and has since been ensnared in numerous corruption scandals.

Military coups are generally bad. Foreign invasions even more so. What then to think of the situation in Niger? While the political situation in the west African country is fluid, some facts are incontrovertible. An (at least nominally) elected president was ousted by the presidential guard after demoting its leader. The pro U.S./French President Mohamed […]

Nigeria’s Senate refuses to support ECOWAS plan for West-backed military intervention. A day after ECOWAS chiefs of staffs finalized plans for a military intervention, Nigeria’s Senate refused to support President Bola Tinubu’s proposal to deploy soldiers. Tinubu is the current chair of ECOWAS. Meanwhile, Niger has seen multiple demonstrations in support of the coup that overthrew Mohamed Bazoum