Guinea/West Africa

Guinea suspended from Ecowas

Article published on the 2009-01-11 Latest update 2009-01-11 15:48 TU

Captain Moussa Dadis Camara of Guinea, 3 January
(Photo: Reuters)

A meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) on Saturday condemned Guinea's coup d'etat of December last. It suspended the country from "all meetings of Ecowas at Heads of state an ministerial levels".

The Commission Chair, Mohamed Ibn Chambas said this was "until constitutional order is restored".

Correspondent Ben Shemang in Abuja says "the West African leaders did not mince words when they condemned the coup in clear terms".

The Ecowas Council of Foreign Ministers emphasized that a military coup was "outdated and outfashioned in Africa", he reported. The Council Chairman and Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, told Saturday's meeting that "in Africa the error of making a distinction between a good coup d'etat and a bad coup d'etat is over".

Nigeria is currently the Chairman of Ecowas and Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua called for the return of Guinea "to constitutional democracy as quickly as practical". He appealed for unity between member-states "in upholding the principles of democratic and constitutional transition in Africa".

Ben Shemang said only eight of the fifteen member countries were in attendance with Senegal among those absent. Senegal has endorsed the new ruling regime in Guinea and Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade said he had major domestic committments this weekend.

Speaking to RFI, the Political Director of Ecowas, Abdel Fatau Musa, said "the most important thing is to get a new national assembly in place". "Within the twelve months, it is very doable".

On the position of Senegal, he reminded listeners that President Wade has said "he was only going to work with them if they took steps to restore constitutional order".