West African leaders are holding an emergency summit in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, in response to a recent spate of coups in the region. The talks on Thursday were initiated after Burkina Faso on January 24 became the third member of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to be overtaken by the military. Burkina Faso President, Roch Marc Christian Kabore was deposed amid public anger at his handling of violence by armed groups.
Burkina Faso followed Mali, where a coup in September 2020 was followed by a second in May 2021, and Guinea, where elected President Alpha Conde was deposed last September. Thursday’s talks also come days after the president of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, survived an attempted coup when assailants armed with machine guns and assault rifles attacked the government palace. The region’s recent turmoil has stoked fears among ECOWAS countries that efforts to steer West Africa toward stability and democracy are failing. Thursday’s meeting will assess the bloc’s actions moving forward.
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