On 10 December 1999 the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted the Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-Keeping and Security and hence passed “probably (...) the most ambitious instrument on the regulation of collective security ever attempted to date” (Abass 2000: 212).
After three military interventions in the 1990ies ECOWAS, a purely economically intended community at the beginning, was in need of better legal foundations for its missions. The interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau were largely characterized by political disputes mostly between anglophone and francophone members of ECOWAS, by weak legal foundations and massive shortcomings in financing, training and equipping the military missions. None of the three interventions can be seen as a pure success. There is even a controversy debate whether the ECOWAS interventions might have prolonged instead of shortened the civil wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau (see Howe 1996).
The Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-Keeping and Security was therefore the attempt to put future ECOWAS interventions on better ground. The outcome was promising, but still bears many deficiancies. Some relate to the provisions made in the Protocol, some relate to the nature of ECOWAS.
The sucess or failure of ECOWAS´ military engagement in securing peace in the region is vital for the all-african efforts to build up regional peace-keeping powers within the framework of the African Union and furthermore for the decentralization of the peace-keeping efforts of the United Nations. If ECOWAS found a way to manage matters of peace and security at its own this could be a encouraging example for other regions in the world. Reality however shows a different picture.
The present paper wants to examine how succesful exactly ECOWAS was in creating the Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-Keeping and Security (in the following short “the Mechanism”) and to what extent the Mechanism can be a solution to the failures made at prior military interventions. For this purpose in the following the ECOWAS intervention in the Liberian civil war in 1990 will be examined against the background of earlier ECOWAS protocols and the against the Mechanism.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Economic Community of West African States
The Beginnings from 1975 to 1989
Excursion: The civil war in Liberia
The ECOWAS intervention in Liberia at first sight
Assessing ECOWAS legal foundations to the ECOMOG mission
The ECOWAS Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-keeping and Security
Evaluation of the Mechanism and Conclusion
Research Objectives & Topics
This paper examines the effectiveness of the ECOWAS "Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-Keeping and Security" (the "Mechanism") in addressing the structural and operational shortcomings experienced during earlier military interventions, specifically the 1990 intervention in the Liberian civil war.
- Analysis of legal frameworks governing ECOWAS security interventions.
- Evaluation of the 1990 ECOMOG intervention in Liberia as a case study.
- Critique of the decision-making processes within the Mediation and Security Council (MSC).
- Examination of the interplay between regional security culture and the influence of hegemonic member states.
Excerpt from the Book
The ECOWAS intervention in Liberia at first sight
Knowing that the international community particulary the United States, “historical godfather and Cold War patron of Liberia” (Adebajo 2002: 49), and the United Nations Security Council did not pay much attention to the disaster occuring in West Africa, ECOWAS felt the need to act on their own although it had never launched such a complex military mission on its own. The civil war in Liberia broke out at a time when all eyes were focused on the end of the Cold War and the forthcoming Gulf War. Also the wish to signal to the world that African subregional organizations were capable of responding to immanent challenges gave motivation to the establishment of an own peacekeeping force (Howe 1996: 152).
Therefore, on 30 May 1990 an ECOWAS summit in Banjul, Gambia, established a five-member Standing Mediation Committee (SMC) with a mandate to mediate disputes and conflicts (Weller 1994: ECOWAS Decision A/DEC.9/5/90; doc. nr. 20). As the MSC decided on the establishment of ECOMOG its own establishment seems crucial for questions of authorization and responsibility in dealing with the Liberian crisis. It could not be drawn from the decision at hand, however, who voted for the establishement of the SMC. According to the ECOWAS Treaty of 1975 all security issues has to be dealt with by consensus (see Haacke/Willimas 2008: 131). Körner states that Nigeria enforced the decision to establish the SMC with the self-confidence of a regional power (Körner 1999: 47).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the context of the 1999 Mechanism, outlining the limitations of previous interventions and setting the goal to analyze the Mechanism's capacity to resolve past failures.
The Economic Community of West African States: Outlines the historical foundations of ECOWAS, starting from its purely economic origin in 1975 and the subsequent adoption of protocols regarding non-aggression and mutual defense.
The Beginnings from 1975 to 1989: Describes the initial institutional structure of ECOWAS and the early attempts to integrate regional peace and security into the legal framework of the Community.
Excursion: The civil war in Liberia: Details the outbreak of the Liberian civil war and the subsequent decision of ECOWAS to move beyond domestic non-interference due to regional instability.
The ECOWAS intervention in Liberia at first sight: Analyzes the formation of the Standing Mediation Committee and the launch of the ECOMOG mission, highlighting the lack of initial clear authority.
Assessing ECOWAS legal foundations to the ECOMOG mission: Critically reviews whether existing treaties provided a sufficient legal basis for the SMC's actions during the Liberian conflict.
The ECOWAS Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-keeping and Security: Discusses the 1999 Protocol, focusing on the establishment of the Mediation and Security Council and the new mandates for peacekeeping.
Evaluation of the Mechanism and Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, arguing that while the Mechanism shows ambition, it remains burdened by funding issues, potential for abuse, and the ongoing tension between national interests and regional security.
Keywords
ECOWAS, ECOMOG, Liberia, Conflict Prevention, Security Mechanism, Mediation and Security Council, Regional Security, Collective Security, Peacekeeping, Intervention, West Africa, Legal Framework, Neopatrimonialism, Regional Integration, Human Rights
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper evaluates the effectiveness of the ECOWAS Protocol on the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-Keeping and Security, adopted in 1999.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The work covers legal frameworks of regional organizations, the history of ECOWAS, the ECOMOG intervention in Liberia, and the challenges of regional collective security in West Africa.
What is the primary research goal of this study?
The study aims to determine if the 1999 Mechanism offers a viable solution to the legal and operational failures observed during earlier ECOWAS military interventions, particularly the Liberian civil war.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The paper uses a qualitative document analysis of ECOWAS treaties, protocols, and literature concerning regional security, combined with a historical case study analysis of the 1990 ECOMOG intervention.
What is discussed in the main body of the text?
The main body assesses the institutional and legal development of ECOWAS, scrutinizes the Standing Mediation Committee's role in 1990, and evaluates the provisions and potential loopholes of the 1999 Mechanism.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Key terms include ECOWAS, ECOMOG, regional security, collective security, conflict management, and the 1999 Mechanism.
How does the author view the 1999 Mechanism's decision-making process?
The author argues that the process contains critical flaws, specifically a low threshold for binding decisions (two-thirds majority) that could allow a few member states to pursue their own agendas at the expense of regional neutrality.
Does the author believe the Mechanism has fully solved the problems of ECOWAS interventions?
No, the author concludes that while the Mechanism is an ambitious step, it is still hampered by a lack of funding, ambiguous decision chains, and the underlying conflict between national interests and collective regional security goals.
- Citation du texte
- Isabel Meyer (Auteur), 2009, ECOWAS: The Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-Keeping and Security, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/157548
