Having that appellation confirms that the 15-nation ECOWAS is located in Africa’s roughest neighborhood.

Like neighbours living at the edge off a forest, the leaders of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo know that extinguishing a fire next door is very much a matter of self interest.

Since its formation in 1975, the grouping has had to put boots on the ground in Sierra Leone, Burundi, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia and Sudan among  others.

Eventually an ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) was formed.

It is a multidisciplinary force composed of military, police and civilian personnel from the ECOWAS Member States and it provides personnel for regional and continental Peace Support Operations Missions.

This week ECOWAS leaders met to discuss the deteriorating socio/political in Mali.

Their meeting follows unsuccessful missions led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and a smaller troika of leaders led by the current ECOWAS chairman Mahamadu Issoufou.

Bitter experience has taught ECOWAS leaders that if at first they don’t succeed, there is no option but to try, try and try again.

The security breakdown in Mali, which already has 13 000 UN blue helmets engaged in what is regarded as the most dangerous peacekeeping operation on the planet, follows a 2012 coup that split the country in half.

French help was called in to clear the Islamist forces that took advantage of a Tuareg insurgency in the north of the country. French led Operation Serval cleared the Islamists moving towards the capital Bamako and in terms of the succeeding Operation Burkhane 5100 French peacekeepers remain in Mali to bolster the UN force.

The inability of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is the pretext for growing calls for his departure.

This was compounded by disputed election in April.

The opposition June 5 Movement led by Mahmoud Dicko insisted that it was not interested in the reforms promised by Keita. They want him gone.

ECOWAS might have been able to watch as this political turmoil boiled.

However the security situation with Islamist terrorists taking advantage of the confusion has spread into Burkina Faso and Niger, bringing the neighbours at the edge of a forest metaphor into play.

The ECOWAS leaders were bound to defend Mali’s constitution and  could not brook opposition calls for the fall of Keita.

They did however see merit in the complaints about irregularities in last April’s elections.

They resolved to call by-elections in the 13 disputed constituencies. These include that of  the parliamentary speaker Moussa Timbiné  

They have urged the opposition to moderate their position by entering into a government of national unity within 10 days.

Backing up their call is a threat of sanctions against any party standing in the way of a solution.

Keita has dropped his insistence that Mali’s Constitutional Court has underpinned the April poll result.

He has named a slimmed down six-person executive to prepare for by-elections and met with Dicko.

This leaves the ball in the opposition court.

Opposition figure Choguel Maiga is quoted as rejecting the ECOWAS proposals and repeating the call for Keita’s departure.

An integral part of ECOWAS’ peacekeeping success is the determination to back its words with muscle.

So, what next?

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Obasanjo, who supported 75-year-old Buhari’s presidential bid in 2015 now says he need a well-deserved break and the country requires a younger leader.

Olusegun Obasanjo, who was Nigeria’s military ruler for three years in the seventies before becoming President from 1999 to 2007 made a similar call on  then President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 to step down.

Now he’s telling President Muhammadu Buhari his poor health disqualifies him from seeking a second term.

Buhari spent five months of last year in Britain on medical leave for an undisclosed ailment.

Nigerians are particularly sensitive to their chief executive’s  health after then President Umaru Yar Adua  died in office in 2010.

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Six policemen are among the suspects arrested in connection with the heist.

Responding to reporters questions, Goodluck Jonathan’s spokesman has only now released details about the burglary at the home of the former Nigerian President.

The burglary happened last month.

Local media’s reporting that it was carried out  by police officers deployed to watch over the house.

According to Jonathan’s spokesman Ikechukwu Eze, thieves stole every moveable item in the house.

Eze discounts reports that stolen items included 35 plasma television sets and 25 refrigerators.

He says the thieves stole six television sets and three refrigerators along with furniture, electronics, beds, toilet and electrical fittings and internal doors and frames.

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They’re calling this one of the worst corruption scandals in the history of the oil industry

The evidence from anti corruption charities Global Witness and Finance Uncovered is being examined by prosecutors in Holland and Italy.

They’re looking at how Royal Dutch Shell and the Italian oil company ENI bought a Nigerian oil field in 2011.

The field holds nine billion barrels of oil worth half a trillion dollars.

The companies paid $1,3 billion for it They dealt with former Nigerian oil minister Dan Etete.

The watchdogs say more than $400 million of this went to then Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and members of his government.

Jonathan’s denied this.

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Government secretary Babachir Lawal told this to senators who are checking whether the government is in breach of the constitution which guarantees ex-leaders salaries for life.

ends intro

There are six ex-leaders whose salaries have been cut,.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who left office last year, can probably survive without the payments.

But 91-year-old Shehu Shagari, who was elected in 1979 and overthrown by the military in 1983 after winning elections, lives from hand to mouth.

Senator Aliyu Wamakko says the government decision doesn’t indicate seriousness and it doesn’t indicate fairness.

Other former presidents affected include Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida,  Ernest Shonekan, and  Abdulsalami Abubakar

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President Jacob Zuma is among leaders from across the world who’ve flow in to witness the inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari a former military dictator turned democrat.

The sense of history in Nigeria is heightened by the prospect of both the incoming and outgoing presidents being together at Eagle Square in Abuja today.

But it’s the sense of expectation that will drive President Muhammadu Buhari once he’s taken the oath of office.

The former military leader’s expected to get a grip on the security situation in Africa’s most populous country.

And he has to tackle endemic corruption.

When he took some handover notes from outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday, he was urged to show no fear or favour in waging this battle.

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Leaders of more than 50 countries, including South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, were present to watch the historic event on Eagle Square in Abuja.

US Secretary of State John Kerry leads the US delegation to President Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration.

He shook hands with President Jacob Zuma as he took his seat at the ceremony on Eagle Square in Abuja.

Outgoing president Goodluck Jonathan, beaten by Buhari in elections two months ago, was present

Buhari’s undergone a remarkable transformation from military leader to avowed democrat.

Nigerians are hoping, however, that he will wield the iron first against instability rocking their country with Islamists in the North East and dissidents in the southern oil fields.

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Fuel shortages have brought Nigeria to standstill days before Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration.

Goodluck Jonathan’s legacy will be that he averted a political crisis in Nigeria by quickly conceding defeat in elections against Muhamadu Buhari two months ago.

The new president’s All Progressives Congress cites record lows in electricity production, multiple strikes and billions of dollars in unpaid debts as evidence that Jonathan is deliberately leaving Africa’s largest economy in a mass.

MTN and other telecoms firms have base stations relying on generators for power because of poor or non-existent supply from the electricity grid.

They’re saying the shortage of diesel threatens to collapse their networks.

Local aircraft are grounded and international flights are being diverted to find aviation fuel.

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Abuja’s official line is that Boko Haram is in the run after a six year reign of terror in north east Nigeria thanks to help from forces from neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Eben Barlow says the success is down the 100 South African mercenaries engaged to train Nigeria’s demoralised soldiers.

Most them fought in South Africa’s border war 30 years ago.

Barlow himself is 62.

Barlow says his men are also part of the fruitless search for the 200 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram from Chibok more than a year ago.

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But he calls corruption an even greater evil and promises his government won’t tolerate it.

Speaking as the first man democratically to have unseated an incumbent Nigerian president, Muhammdu Buhari promises his compatriots there’ll be no favouritism in his new government and he’ll uphold the rule of law so they’ll be able to voice their opinion without fear of victimisation.

World leaders have congratulated Gen Buhari and hailed Nigeria’s democratic spirit.

In his televised speech, Buhari acknowledges he has tough and urgent job to do beating Boko Haram.

Many people accused defeated president Goodluck Jonathan of not taking the Islamist militants seriously and thought Buhari would be better positioned to defeat the terrorism.

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