To address the political situation in Senegal as well as disagreements with the military regimes in three additional member states, West African foreign ministers are convening emergency meetings in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, on Thursday.
A week after Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their intention to leave the bloc, President Macky Sall abruptly decided to postpone Senegalese elections, setting up the extraordinary session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Ministers would meet to “discuss current security and political issues in the region,” according to the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council. It’s still unclear if participants are from the four nations under discussion.
Senegal, one of ECOWAS’s most stable members, has been urged to adhere to its election schedule, but detractors have already questioned the organization’s ability to influence these increasingly independent members.
The unrest has also cast doubt on the nearly 50-year-old bloc’s larger role, particularly after it abandoned its threat of military intervention in Niger last year, and there was no indication that the overthrown president of the nation was any closer to returning to office.
In Lagos, ECOWAS was established in May 1975. Mauritania withdrew from the group the only other time before, in 2000.
According to Beninese political consultant Djidenou Steve Kpoton, Senegal’s problems are a “new crisis ECOWAS doesn’t need,” the AFP news agency reported. “It’s obvious helplessness in the face of the circumstances…”
Other analysts expressed confidence in the bloc’s long-term capacity to mediate solutions for regional issues. However, ECOWAS’s handling of the most recent political turmoil is being closely watched because its reputation is on the line.
Just hours before the start of the campaign, President Sall announced he was delaying the vote scheduled for February 25. This announcement sparked protests in Senegal this past weekend.
On Monday night, after security forces stormed the chamber and removed some opposition members who were unable to cast ballots, lawmakers voted almost unanimously in favor of the delay. People all around the nation told Al Jazeera they were shocked and still contemplating what might happen next.
On the day of the parliamentary vote, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications also turned off mobile internet, citing security concerns. “Dear customers, all operators have suspended mobile internet due to a state decision,” a text message from Orange phone provider said.
Spectators were worried that one of the most powerful and steady people in the region was dismantling the rules, inciting violent protests, and creating questions about potential ripple effects throughout the region.
