The Programs Director at iWatch Africa Justice Kumordzi has called on the international community to help find lasting solutions and restore calm in West Africa’s political instability.
His call follows similar appeal by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey who – in an article published in the Financial Times – is urging world leaders to take action to end the instability in West Africa.
“Beating back terrorism, climate change and piracy in Africa cannot be left to a handful of West African countries when the consequences of inaction are global. They require the attention of the UN Security Council,” Ms Botchwey wrote.
Speaking on the maiden edition of International Dialogue, a YouTube based talk show on the channel Aniwaba, Justice Kumordzi said the international community must contribute to making West Africa stable.
“The international community has massive interest in Africa not only as a market but they have investments here too. A stable continent obviously means a stable place to do business,” he told host Solomon Mensah.
Also sharing his thoughts on the development, journalist and educator Solomon Annan said whereas the call on the international community to help restore calm in West Africa is laudable, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union must first prove they can handle their affairs before running for help.
“We need peace on the continent but must the first point of call be on the international community while we leave the African Union elsewhere? Or, has the Foreign Minister [Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey] written to the AU and the union has not done anything? If the African Union is here and we say the African problems must be solved by Africans, why is the AU not intervening?” he asked.
Mr. Annan said that both the AU and ECOWAS must show leadership in providing concrete solutions to the instability on the continent.