The Economic Community of West African Statte, ECOWAS, has threatened targeted sanctions on anyone truncating the return of Guinea-Bissau to civilian rule after last month’s coup.
This is coming as presidents from across the region met in Nigeria for a bi-annual meeting whose agenda was dominated by two recent coup attempts; a successful military takeover in Guinea-Bissau and a failed putsch in Benin.
ECOWAS commission president Omar Alieu Touray, while addressing journalists at the end of the summit, said the regional bloc shall impose targeted sanctions on individuals or groups of persons that obstruct the transition process.
He equally stated that the ECOWAS peacekeeping force deployed in Guinea-Bissau, a small, coup-prone West African country, since 2022, was authorised to provide protection to all political leaders and national institutions.
DAILY POST reports that the twin disruptions of civilian rule last month in Guinea-Bissau and a week ago in Benin have rattled the West African regional bloc, which condemned both at Sunday’s summit.
Recall that the failed putsch in Benin saw Nigeria deploy fighter jets and troops, alongside soldiers from the Ivory Coast, to shore up the civilian government.
ECOWAS has said more soldiers are on their way from Ghana and Sierra Leone.
“Whoever stands in the way of restoring democratic government to Guinea-Bissau will be decisively dealt with,” he said.
Guinea-Bissau coup: ECOWAS threatens targeted sanctions
