The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which has behind it the credit for teaching post-Cold War world a lesson or two in peace keeping is approaching its 50th birthday anniversary. But it is doing so as a divided house. Three members Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic – are not with the rest.
If the three leave, what remains will not be the ECOWAS the world has known. Yet, the differences underpinning the division appears irreconcilable. What is to be done?
Well, the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) thinks a panel of experts may have an idea of what can be done. It is therefore inviting interested listeners to a Virtual Meeting on the issue.
Called “Strategic Roundtable on ‘Evolving Developments in the Ecowas and the Sahel”, the virtual conversation has been scheduled for midday, January 22nd, 2025.
All that a potential joiner needs do is click the Microsoft Teams Meeting link NIIA is circulating thus: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3a2qr3Tja7lMiwnbmSLN3qxgQCekAFvkL8ZBHMLGWmOpg1%40thread.tacv2/1737383287771?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2273662592-1795-430b-a5e6-9460b1931960%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22a348aeb8-6d33-4861-b764-8ae78a45ac94%22%7d
The assumption is that a panel of experts scrutinised and determined by the NIIA establishment must have something new and transformative to say about the development. It will not be surprising if the virtual conversation ends up oversubscribed.