Some interesting foreign policy developments in africa

Potential longer term consequences from the current events in Niger 

Of course, Burkina Faso and Mali, along with Guinea, are currently suspended from ECOWAS following coups in those countries in the past two years. Some sanctions have been imposed on those countries by ECOWAS.

Nigeria dominates ECOWAS: 60%+ of the population; 75%+ of the aggregate GDP.  The other two ECOWAS key states are Ivory Coast and Ghana. 

The military juntas that control Burkina Faso and Mali are worried that ECOWAS military intervention in Niger might be a precedent for ECOWAS to intervene in Burkina Faso and Mali.  There are recent precedents for ECOWAS military intervention in Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, but those countries are much smaller fry than Niger (population of each is less than 2m compared with 20m population of Niger).

CliveWarren01 Aug 23 22:16

Report

What are these developments risky?

---------

It's a very good question, which a junior offshore banking compliance officer is uniquely placed to answer.  The world holds its breath.

I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She's coming in, 12:30 flight
The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation

I stopped an old man along the way
Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say, Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you...