ECOWAS and the Silencing the Guns in Africa
摘要
This chapter conducts a thorough analysis of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a prominent regional organisation, and its efforts to internalise and regionalise the “Silencing the Guns” norm. Through a meticulous examination of official ECOWAS documents, including communiques, policy papers, legal texts, annual reports, and official journals, this study delves into how ECOWAS facilitates the internalisation of the “Silencing the Guns” norm among its member states, both individually and collectively. Employing document analysis and assessing ECOWAS actions, the chapter identifies four key themes aligned with the objectives of STG encompassing the root causes of conflicts, the eradication of recurrent and emerging conflict sources, prevention of small arms and light weapons proliferation, and nuclear non-proliferation. The findings of this study unveil that while ECOWAS has organised and participated in a limited number of workshops on STG, further exploration into its resources reveals that the organisation had already established its own initiatives similar to the majority of STG objectives prior to their enactment. Consequently, ECOWAS’ efforts towards internalising STG norms have been limited, with infrequent usage of the term ‘Silencing the Guns’. By illuminating these dynamics, the study offers insights into ECOWAS’ role in promoting peace and security within the West African region.