An alliance of African non-governmental organizations has filed a lawsuit against the regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), seeking the lifting of sanctions imposed on four countries in the Sahel region.
This action is in response to measures taken by ECOWAS following coups in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Guinea.
As part of the activist groups involved in the lawsuit filed with the Community Court of the 15-country union, are the Coalition of African Patriots of Burkina Faso (COPA/BF) and Youth for Peace and Security - Africa (YPS-Africa) of Ghana.
"These severe and colonial-influenced sanctions are not only immoral but also illegal and undemocratic because they are not supported by any law or provision. We asked the ECOWAS Court to take into account human-rights violations, discussions on the human rights of the African Union, the revised ECOWAS Treaty and its protocols, as well as international laws, to declare sanctions against citizens ILLEGAL," the plaintiffs' text reads, according to Le Faso.net.
The NGOs initiating the legal action demand the ECOWAS Court to declare these sanctions against citizens as illegal. According to the organizations, ECOWAS' sanctions have resulted in the deaths of over 125,000 individuals, particularly affecting women and children.
The initial sanctions against Niger were imposed by ECOWAS leaders at an emergency summit in July, which led to the immediate closure of borders, halting the flow of goods, and a ban on air travel. The sanctions against Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, all of which have experienced military coups in recent years, will continue, according to ECOWAS.