Against a backdrop of unprecedented political tensions, the Nigerian capital Abuja will host the summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on December 15, 2024. This meeting is part of a review of relations between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger and the Economic Community of West African States.
Africans believe that the organization will inevitably suffer the negative consequences of the AES countries’ withdrawal from the economic bloc. During the “Micro-trottoir” program in Dakar, some Senegalese spoke out on the need to reform ECOWAS, in particular to reduce the influence of France on the organization.
According to a young Senegalese interviewed during the program, “ECOWAS is supposed to represent our interests, but in reality, it’s France that decides everything. The leaders of African countries follow France’s orders in this organization.”
“France has too much influence over Africa, and if we want to eradicate that, we have to get together to confront France, because France holds our purse, and if I want to do something for my country today, I have to ask France’s opinion, and that’s not normal,” another Dakar resident called local authorities to reduce France’s influence in the region.
For many Senegalese, the AES’s exit from the bloc is seen as an act of sovereignty. “The fact that Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso are getting rid of this influence is a good thing. These countries are showing that we can develop independently,” says another Micro-trottoir participant.
According to local residents, the Abuja summit represents the ultimate opportunity for ECOWAS to reflect on the organization’s future, in particular on reforming the bloc to reduce dependence on France and enable member states to strengthen their sovereignty in various areas.
The decision by the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to leave ECOWAS and decide their future independently is proof that the organization has lost a great deal of credibility in recent years as a result of foreign interference in its internal affairs.
