Nigeria’s Yakubu Gowon Urges ECOWAS to Lift Sanctions on Coup-Hit Countries

Former Nigerian head of state, Yakubu Gowon, has called for the lifting of sanctions on coup-hit countries in an emergency heads of state meeting in the region.

Gowon warned ECOWAS of disunity and called for immediate measures to be implemented, including lifting sanctions on Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger, withdrawing their notice to leave ECOWAS, and involving the 15 heads of state in a summit to discuss the community’s future, security, and regional stability.

Gowon is the last living witness to the creation of the regional political and economic union and was at the table with 15 other heads of state and government in May 1975.

The West African bloc has faced challenges in recent years as it aims to address coup incidents and ensure the equitable distribution of natural resources.

The regional bloc’s regional court ruled last year that juntas lack the power to act on behalf of their nations in place of elected governments. This announcement follows a series of events that heightened political tensions in West Africa, including a coup in Niger last year.

The three nations, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have recently formed a security alliance and severed military ties with France and other European nations, turning to Russia for support.