By Isaac Akerele
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, has made urgent calls on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to hold the repressive regime of President Macky Sall accountable.
Following the contentious postponement of elections, Mr Falana warned in a statement that Sall’s unilateral decision to postpone elections amounted to a “constitutional coup” that violated basic democratic norms and core ECOWAS principles of good governance.
Citing the flagrant contraventions of international charters to which Senegal is a signatory, the radical Lagos-based Lawyer called on ECOWAS to impose sanctions on Sall and other officials responsible for the undemocratic move. According to him, the measures should include freezing of assets and travel bans, specifically targeted at regime officials that have undermined citizens’ democratic rights.
He said: “ECOWAS must take decisive action to prevent the complete erosion of democracy and human rights in Senegal,” Falana urged, pointing to Article 45 as the legal basis for sanctions.
“Regional leadership is desperately needed to hold the Sall regime accountable and deter further violations.”
It would be recalled that the postponement of elections in Senegal initially scheduled for this month had sparked fears amongst many that Senegal’s once vibrant democracy is being threatened. Consequently, President Sall has drawn widespread condemnation from opponents and civil society groups since his controversial announcements on shifting the electoral timeline.
While stressing that ECOWAS has to uphold its own protocols of adherence to democratic principles and good governance, Mr Falana emphasised that “by failing to enforce compliance, ECOWAS risks emboldening Sall and other leaders eager to violate constitutions and undermine citizens’ rights across the region,”
Many analysts believe that Senegal’s continuity in democratic rule will continue to hang in the balance unless steps are taken to address the above concerns as stated by Mr Falana.
