West African foreign ministers held emergency meeting in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, to address the political crisis in Senegal and disputes with military rulers in three other member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The meeting follows President Macky Sall’s decision to delay elections in Senegal, which comes after Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger declared their withdrawal from the bloc. ECOWAS has urged Senegal to return to its election timetable, but doubts have been raised about the bloc’s influence over defiant member states. The handling of the crises in the region has implications for ECOWAS’s reputation and role. Trade sanctions have been imposed in the past, but their impact on citizens has been significant, and military regimes remain in power.
