ECOWAS Urged to Review Sanctions on Niger Following Coup

The International Crisis Group (ICG) has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to reconsider the sanctions imposed on Niger following the coup in July.

In a report titled “ECOWAS, Nigeria and the Niger Coup Sanctions: Time to Recalibrate,” the ICG emphasized that the sanctions, intended to signal disapproval of coups, are adversely affecting citizens in Niger and Nigeria.

The group recommends a review of the sanctions to target the generals responsible for disrupting democracy rather than causing hardship to civilians.

While acknowledging ECOWAS’s initial concerns about the risks of coup contagion in West Africa, the ICG suggests that the sanctions may have overshot the mark and resulted in severe hardships.

The suspension of official trade with member states, particularly Nigeria and Benin Republic, has led to scarcities, increased inflation, and aggravated chronic food insecurity in Niger.

Additionally, the cut in electricity supply from Nigeria, which provided over two-thirds of Niger’s needs, has further damaged the country’s fragile economy.

For Nigeria, the report notes that the border closure has significantly impacted the cross-border economy along the Nigeria-Niger border.

Estimated at over $238 million in 2021, the closure is disrupting livelihoods in border communities and exacerbating humanitarian challenges in northern Nigerian states facing attacks by terrorist and bandit groups.

The ICG warns that the sanctions, as currently implemented, could undermine security cooperation between Nigeria and Niger, particularly in the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria’s northeast and banditry in the northwest.

The report suggests a need for flexibility and a formal drop of the threat of military intervention, urging all parties to work towards a constitutional transition in Niger.

In conclusion, the ICG calls for a comprehensive dialogue with relevant stakeholders in Niger, including political parties, civil society groups, and regional leaders, to facilitate a quick return to constitutional rule and alleviate the hardships faced by the populations of Niger and northern Nigeria.

Source: Daily Trust