PODCASTS>> "AFRICA IN FOCUS: Peace & Security in West Africa (2):Burkina Faso... (11 November, 2014)

Due to unforeseen technical challenges, the live show on Radio XYZ93.1FM was unable to come on. However, we were able to arrange recorded phone interviews with our guests, which are available for download -- as always -- for free!

Please find below the list of guests booked for the 23rd edition of the Show. Simply click on their names to start downloading a podcast of the interviews Emmanuel had with them.


EPISODE #23
Research & Co-ordination: E.K.Bensah Jr
Executive Producer: E.K.Bensah Jr

• Morgan Asiedu, ECOBANK

Executive Director Legal; Human Resource & Compliance Mr.Asiedu explains to Emmanuel why ECOBANK Day was celebrated on 8 November this year. Other questions answered included, what the future is for the Pan-African bank almost 25 years of its existence in Ghana. Mr.Asiedu assured observers uneasy about the recent acquisition of shares by Qatar National Bank, and South Africa's NEDBANK acquisition as in no way diluting the Pan-Africanist aspiration of the bank, but a way of the Bank learning from these non-West African entities. The future for ECOBANK is about consolidation -- not necessarily expansion. Asiedu maintains ECOBANK's two-fold vision includes building a "world-class financial institution", and contributing to "financial integration and development of Africa".

• Alimou Diallo, West Africa Network for Peace-building 

Regional Coordinator of WANEP explained to Emmanuel the outcome of the two-day ECOWAS Summit, and how both the AU and ECOWAS have called upon Burkina Faso to follow the path of civilian rule. He maintains that, given it remains a popular uprising, the West African country has not been suspended from ECOWAS, with the diplomats preferring alternatives, including the appointment of Senegalese President Macky Sall as head of the Regional Contact Group to Burkina. It would not only be Sall who would mediate, but one who would help coordinate a multiplicity of efforts by ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN. 

He disputed Emmanuel's analysis that perhaps it is "time for UEMOA to shut down shop" given that for the past five years, ECOWAS' headache have all included UEMOA countries (Niger in 2008; Cote d'Ivoire in 2011; Mali in 2012; Guinea-Bissau also in 2012; and finally, Burkina Faso in 2014). Diallo believes Liberia and Sierra Leone (anglophone countries) were perhaps the most brutal. However, what can be said is that the crises experienced by UEMOA countries are perhaps a reflection of weak democratic institutions, especially that of electoral commissions. He calls for more of a harmonisation of West Africa's electoral commissions.

• Araba Arhin, former West Africa Commission on Drugs official

Mrs.Arhin proffers the genesis of the West Africa Commission on Drugs, describing it as "a baby of Kofi Annan Foundation and of Mr. Kofi Annan." The project visited countries like Senegal; Nigeria; Guinea-Bissau. A report was prepared, with recommendations made, and advocacy to be made using a report that was prepared. Drugs are affecting our society in ways in which we cannot imagine.

Emmanuel wondered how far WACID's work has been able to complement the efforts of ECOWAS' Intergovernmental Action Group against Money-Laundering (GIABA) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Arhin explains that they were not only working independently, but working alongside GIABA and other related agencies. The latest report by WACID believes West Africa is not prepared for legalisation of drug policy, but more of a degree of decriminalization to allow more of the big fish to be caught.

• Dominick Andoh, Head of Aviation desk, Business & Financial Times Paper

In this aviation update, Andoh confirms that regional airlines operating from Kotoka have begun to fly again to Ougadougou. These include ASKY; Air Burkina; Air Cote d;Ivoire. 

On the domestic airline front, it is now possible for Kumasi airport to operate flights at night, which will serve as an important economic boon for the airline industry there. It will help them make more revenue, and enable people move more freely in the evening. It is hoped that this will help airlines break even as more revenue is accrued it.

We also learn that works are ongoing for the Tamale airport, which has plans to become an international airport. 

• Kobby Blay, Ebola Watch 

In this latest update, we learn there is some good news, especially with decline of cases in Sierra Leone. Countries yet to be affected by Ebola include Burkina Faso; Benin; Ghana; Togo.

Kobby will be going to Liberia's Budumburum camp to help spread the message on understanding Ebola. The Ebola Watch team will also be in Cape Coast.


ENDs

AFRICA IN FOCUS >> Coming up on 11 November, 2014: Peace & Security in West Africa: Burkina Faso, and Matters Arising (2)

Peace & Security in West Africa: Burkina Faso, and Matters Arising (2)

 AIF is exactly six months old this week.

Our second show, on 13 May, was on "Peace & Security in West Africa: the missing girls; free movement; Boko Haram; and the role of ECOWAS". 

Guests included a researcher from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre(KAIPTC); a Nigerian diasporan Counter-terrorism expert who is a lawyer/former METROPOLITAN Police Officer, and author on Boko Haram; and a Nigerian journalist.

The last time ECOWAS had a meeting in Accra was to discuss Ebola. Last week’s two-day meeting proved the exception to the rule because of the popular uprising in Burkina Faso. ECOWAS has yet to appoint a Special envoy to Burkina Faso, but the world knows of the AU and the UN’s envoy. After last week’s ECOWAS meeting, we also know that Senegalese President Macky Sall will head the Regional Contact Group monitoring affairs in Burkina Faso, and it will include Ghanaian President and ECOWAS Chair President Mahama.

It is barely two weeks, yet there have already been a lot of diplomatic movements underway to ensure Burkina heads down the road to civilian rule. That said, it is not going to be an easy ride. It is for this reason we will be speaking to Accra-based West Africa Network for Peace-building(WANEP)’s Mr.Diallo to give us the latest update, and prospects for the country returning to some degree of normalcy.

Our experts from KAIPTC were unavailable this time, but we were able to get a former KAIPTC official to give us her insight into the region’s peace and security challenges, and consider the way forward on some of the biggest threats to the region’s peace and security.

In October 2013, an ECOWAS summit was dominated by issues relative to its financial health – the EPAs; the CET; and the Community Integration Levy, which helps finance ECOWAS institutions. A year later, hard peace and security issues have resurfaced, prompting speculation as to whether ECOWAS will ever get the opportunity to focus more than one of its summits on the regional economy?

We want to use the 23^rd edition of the programme to reprise the issue of peace & security – not because it has not been an important talking point for the past five-and-a-half months, but primarily because it has loomed even larger at this time than ever before.

Guiding Questions to be answered:

·        What was ECOWAS’ decision on Burkina, and what is the way forward towards civilian rule?

·        What about peace and security in West Africa as result of Burkina? Will there be any blowback from the Sahel – as in Mali?

·        Since 2008, ECOWAS has been fire-fighting crises in UEMOA countries. Should ECOWAS continue to expend inordinate resources fighting to keep the “ECOWAS peace” at expense of economic development?

·       Is UEMOA still a good idea within ECOWAS when the latter spends most of its resources resolving electoral crises in the UEMOA countries?

Guests in the studio:

Ø  Alimou Diallo, WANEP @13h30 

Ø  Araba Arhin, former KAIPTC official

Ø  Prof. Djeneba Traore, West Africa Institute, Cape Verde @ 14h00 

Ø  Dominick Andoh, Head of Aviation desk, Business & Financial Times Paper @14h15

Ø  Kobby Blay, Ebola Watch @14h30