ECOWAS chairman: Mali coup influenced military takeover in Guinea, Burkina Faso

Nana Akufo-Addo, president of Ghana and chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) authority of heads of state and government, says the 2020 coup in Mali influenced subsequent military takeovers in Africa.

Akufo-Addo said this on Thursday, during the ECOWAS extraordinary summit on the political situation in Burkina Faso.

The summit held in Accra, the Ghana capital.

There have been military takeovers in at least three countries across the West African region within the past 18 months.

In August 2020, a coup by mutinying soldiers in Mali resulted in the resignation of President Ibrahim Keita — now late.

In May 2021, there was a second coup in Mali, followed by military takeovers in Guinea and Burkina Faso in September 2021 and January 2022, respectively.

The most recent related incident was an attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday.

Speaking at the summit on Thursday, Akufo-Addo said there is a need to take urgent steps to address the factors that breed room for such military takeovers.

“This summit will focus on the emerging threats in our region that stem from the military’s interference in Mali and its contagious influence in Guinea and Burkina Faso,” he said.

“Let us address this dangerous trend collectively and decisively before it devastates the entire region.”