Bentil Urges ECOWAS Reforms in Response to Sahel State Challenges

Bentil Urges ECOWAS Reforms in Response to Sahel State Challenges

Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has called for transformative reforms to breathe new life and strengthen the West Africa regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The analysts said ECOWAS is under threat of disintegration following the formation of the Sahel States. The Sahel states, made up of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are a new bloc formed to strengthen political, economic, and security ties among themselves.

‘s neighbor, Togo, is the latest country to contemplate joining the Sahel alliance threatening a fragmentation of ECOWAS.

In a post on his social media handle, Kofi Bentil noted that Togo’s consideration of becoming a member of the new alliance is a major threat to the existence of the regional bloc.

He further states that ECOWAS, which was originally envisioned as a unified economic and political powerhouse for West Africa, has devolved into a mere shadow of its promise.

“ECOWAS is unraveling because its potential has never been realized. What a waste of opportunity,” he remarked in a Facebook post sighted by The Ghana Times.

To reverse the trend and restore the bloc’s value, Bentil outlines three ambitious steps that he believes can secure ECOWAS’s future and enhance its appeal to member states.

The Vice President of IMANI Africa calls for the complete elimination of borders among ECOWAS countries, creating a single, seamless region where goods, services, and people can move freely.

He argued that borders within the bloc are an unnecessary barrier to economic growth and integration, hindering the prosperity that should naturally flow from a unified market of over 400 million people.

He further advocates for the removal of all visa and residency requirements within ECOWAS. He insists that the free movement of people is critical to building a stronger sense of unity and economic cooperation among member states.

On the front of security, the private legal practitioner also believed in establishing a joint defense and naval force. This unified military force, Kofi Bentil said would be tasked with protecting the bloc’s shared waters, and outer borders, and addressing internal threats such as insurgencies and terrorism.

“Three things they can do now to give ECOWAS great value and stop the exit; Remove all borders, remove all visa and residence requirements, and create a joint defense and Naval Force to protect our common waters and outer borders and fight internal insurgents,” he indicated.

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