By Sorie Fofana.
The democratically elected President of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, has been forced out of office by the Malian Military in a bloodless coup. The military takeover has been condemned by ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) in a statement issued on 18th August, 2020.
ECOWAS leaders have called on the junta leaders in Mali, to immediately return the country to constitutional order but did not call for the reinstatement of the deposed democratically elected President.
Immediately following his arrest by the coup leaders, President Boubacar Keita announced on State television that he had agreed to resign from office to avoid plunging the country into a prolonged civil unrest. Meanwhile, ECOWAS has imposed a raft of sanctions against the West African State of Mali, following the military takeover this week.
ECOWAS must insist on the immediate restoration of Constitutional order in Mali, by every possible means.
Fresh elections must be held within the shortest possible time and the Army should not be allowed to be part of any interim arrangement put in place before elections are held.
Guinea
The 81-year-old President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, should not be allowed to run for a third term in office. His second and final term in office is expected to end this year. He has gone ahead to change the constitution by removing term limit. This is no longer acceptable in West Africa. Conde must leave office when his current term expires. Period!
ECOWAS must come out openly and condemn any attempt by President Conde to extend his stay in office at the end of his current mandate. In fact, ECOWAS leaders must come together and impose targeted sanctions against President Conde and his cronies if he insists on running for a third term in office.
Ivory Coast
President Alassane Quattara of Ivory Coast has announced his intention to continue in office, by running for a third term. His hand-picked successor, Amadou Gon Coulibally died recently after a protracted illness. He has been buried.
ECOWAS should not allow President Quattara to run for office after changing the constitution and removing term limit.
ECOWAS must impose targeted sanctions against President Quattara and his henchmen who are bent on plunging that beautiful West African country into another round of civil unrest.
The two youngest MRU (Mano River Union) leaders, President Julius Maada Bio and his Liberian counterpart, President George Weah must also be brave enough to expel from the Union, any member nation leader that tries to undermine democracy in their country.
We have had enough of this nonsense! No more military coups! No more third timers in West Africa! African leaders must learn to respect their countriesโ constitutions, by allowing the will of the people to prevail.
ECOWAS should come down heavily on leaders who, try to amend their national constitutions just to create room for their unconstitutional stay in office.
President Koroma Must Go!
An outspoken member of the APC party who served as Special Adviser to the President and Cabinet Minister in the last APC administration, Dr. Sylvia Blyden, has openly called on President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to step down from his current role of Chairman and Leader of the APC party at the end of his current term in October this year. President Koroma has been at the helm of affairs of the APC party since 2002. After 18 years in office, President Koroma has nothing new to offer to the party. He must step down now!
In the run-up to the 2005 SLPP National Delegatesโ Conference in Makeni, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbahโs influence in the SLPP had diminished. His hand-picked successor, Solomon Berewa was elected leader and flag bearer of the SLPP in Makeni in 2005. After the SLPP NEC meeting in Makeni, Kabbah almost ceded his authority to Berewa. As Vice President, Berewa became the man to deal with. After the 2007 elections, Kabbah retired from party politics. At no time did Kabbah attempt to criticize President Koroma openly.
It is worth mentioning that, by 2002, Kabbah had grown fed up with the Presidency. The May 25 1997 military coup took a heavy toll on Kabbah. He had no intention of running for a second term in 2002.
The British government played a key role in convincing Kabbah to run for a second term in 2002. He showed me (and I believe several others) a letter written to him by Robin Cook (the UK Secretary of State), encouraging him to run for a second term. To a large extent, Kabbah was forced to run for a second term in office. He had lost interest in politics, after he was overthrown in May 1997 which sad event was followed by the death of his beloved spouse, Patricia Kabbah.
Until his death on 13th March 2014, Kabbah remained a highly-respected statesman. He led several election observation missions on behalf of ECOWAS, the AU, the Commonwealth etc. to several African countries including Guinea, Zimbabwe, Kenya etc.
President Koroma should retire peacefully from active party politics by graciously relinquishing his current position of Chairman and Leader of the APC party. Thatโs the best game in town!
May common sense prevail!
