{"id":98049,"date":"2025-04-24T06:09:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T06:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/ghana\/uncategorized\/west-african-group-ecowas-turns-50-amid-struggle-to-stay-united"},"modified":"2025-04-24T06:09:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T06:09:38","slug":"west-african-group-ecowas-turns-50-amid-struggle-to-stay-united","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/ghana\/all-news\/west-african-group-ecowas-turns-50-amid-struggle-to-stay-united","title":{"rendered":"West African Group Ecowas Turns 50 Amid Struggle to Stay United"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Ghana. <\/strong><\/span>Celebrations marking 50 years of the Economic Community of West African States \u2013 known as Ecowas \u2013 began in Ghana this week, but the mood was far from jubilant. The region\u2019s main political and economic bloc finds itself at a crossroads after losing three key members. <\/b><\/p>\n

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger all walked away from the group in January, dealing a major blow to an organisation already struggling with security threats and economic challenges.<\/p>\n

Ecowas was born in Lagos on 28 May, 1975 with the goal of bringing West African nations closer together. Five decades later, that ambition is facing its toughest test yet.<\/p>\n

The anniversary celebrations, launched in Accra, will continue throughout the year, with events planned across all Ecowas member states.<\/p>\n

But beyond the speeches, leaders are grappling with serious questions about how the body can survive amid growing divisions and rising security threats.<\/p>\n

Fighting for relevance<\/p>\n

Ecowas has reinvented itself before. When civil war broke out in Liberia in 1990, it created its own peacekeeping force. Later, it expanded its mission to handle security and promote democracy.<\/p>\n

But the rise of violent extremist groups across the region proved too much.<\/p>\n

\u201cEcowas was not equipped for this,\u201d Amandine Gnangue\u0301non, a senior researcher at the Africa Policy Research Institute in Berlin, told RFI. \u201cIt [was] difficult to simultaneously establish mechanisms, intervene and focus on prevention. It was overwhelmed and lost control of its agenda.\u201d As Ecowas struggled, other groups such as the G5 Sahel and the Accra Initiative have stepped in.<\/p>\n

Now the departure of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger \u2013 who formed their own group, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), in September 2023 \u2013 has further weakened the bloc.<\/p>\n

Experts say deep reform is the only way for Ecowas to survive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt needs to return to its original goals \u2013 stronger economic and political integration. And it must reconnect with ordinary people by making its work more visible,\u201d said Gnangue\u0301non \u201cMany people don\u2019t know what Ecowas is. I think there is a big communication gap.\u201d<\/p>\n

But real change, she added, will only happen if West African leaders are willing to act. It is the heads of state, not Ecowas officials, who hold the power to push through reforms when they meet as the conference of presidents.<\/p>\n

Mixed success<\/p>\n

Ecowas has had some successes, notably in making it easier for people to work and travel across borders.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the great achievement,\u201d said Senegalese researcher Pape Ibrahima Kane, pointing to the Ecowas identity card that lets citizens work in any member country without a residence permit.<\/p>\n

He also praised a regional tax that helps align customs duties.<\/p>\n

But bloc has fallen short of many of its bigger goals. Only one major transport corridor \u2013 linking Abidjan to Lagos \u2013 has been built. Trade within the region remains stuck at less than 15 percent of total exports.<\/p>\n

Plans for a single currency have been shelved several times. Nigeria, meant to be the region\u2019s economic powerhouse, has been too caught up in its own political and security problems to lead effectively. Market worries<\/p>\n

For traders in Co\u0302te d\u2019Ivoire, the split with Ecowas members brings real-world problems. At Abidjan\u2019s busy Adjame\u0301 market, where vendors come from across West Africa, anxiety is growing.<\/p>\n

Adama, who imports traditional bogolan fabric from Burkina Faso to sell in Abidjan, fears for his business.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are traders. We need to be able to travel from Co\u0302te d\u2019Ivoire to sell in Burkina, and from Burkina to sell in Co\u0302te d\u2019Ivoire. If the two countries don\u2019t get along, it\u2019s bad for us,\u201d he said. \u201cWe just want them to get along \u2013 that would make us happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many traders share this fear of new restrictions on movement between countries. There\u2019s also worry about customs charges eating into their profits.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe exit of the AES countries will lead to tariff barriers and this could negatively affect jobs if companies cannot find new markets outside the AES, or if AES companies cannot find other markets outside of Ecowas,\u201d said Ivorian economist Alban Ahoure\u0301.<\/p>\n

Despite these concerns, trade links with the AES states remain strong.<\/p>\n

Mali and Burkina Faso together still account for 13.5 percent of Co\u0302te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s exports. All three breakaway nations also remain part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union, sharing the common CFA franc currency.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Ghana<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Ghana. Celebrations marking 50 years of the Economic Community of West African States \u2013 known as Ecowas \u2013 began in Ghana this week, but the mood was far from jubilant. The region\u2019s main political and economic bloc finds itself at a crossroads after losing three key members. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":98048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[429],"class_list":["post-98049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-ghana"],"yoast_head":"\nWest African Group Ecowas Turns 50 Amid Struggle to Stay United - Ghana<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/ghana\/uncategorized\/west-african-group-ecowas-turns-50-amid-struggle-to-stay-united\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"West African Group Ecowas Turns 50 Amid Struggle to Stay United\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press – Ghana. Celebrations marking 50 years of the Economic Community of West African States \u2013 known as Ecowas \u2013 began in Ghana this week, but the mood was far from jubilant. The region\u2019s main political and economic bloc finds itself at a crossroads after losing three key members. 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