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Be Smart About South Africa

West African Leaders Concerned about Coup Fever Spreading in the Region

At the opening of a second ECOWAS summit on dealing with the January coup in Burkina Faso, chairman and president of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo said the resurgence of coups in West Africa is worrying and must be stopped. “It’s with a heavy heart that I welcome all of you today back to Accra after our virtual meeting last week,” Akufo-Addo said. “Your presence here is a strong indication of your willingness to find a sustainable solution to the resurgence of the cancer in our region. Let us address this dangerous trend collectively and decisively before it devastates the whole region.” West Africa in the past year has seen a series of coups and attempted coups in Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. The Economic Community of West African States suspended Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali from the 15-member bloc and imposed sanctions on Guinea and Mali after military takeovers. The African Union also suspended the three countries. But analysts question if the sanctions are effective when the coups are being driven by popular concerns about security and the fight against Islamist militant groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida.

SOURCE: VOA

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