Regional intervention in the promotion of democracy in West Africa: an analysis of the political crisis in the Gambia and ECOWAS’ coercive diplomacy

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines how ECOWAS’ preventive diplomacy and preventive deployment of forces to unlock the political stalemate in the Gambia succeeded in installing in office the ‘president-in-exile’, Adama Barrow, following his defeat of Yahya Jammeh who had ruled for over 20 years. The coercive diplomacy undertaken in defence of democracy in the Gambia was the latest manifestation of ECOWAS’ demonstrated capacity and readiness to use force if necessary as deterrence to subversion of constitutional democratic rule in West Africa. Unlike other ECOWAS’ interventions in West Africa, ECOWAS swiftly put to an end a potentially explosive crisis without any casualties. The president-elect, Adama Barrow took the oath-of-office as president in Senegal while coercive diplomacy was pursued to bring him back to the Gambia. The article argues that ECOWAS’ recognition of Adama Barrow’s electoral legitimacy and its intervention is a testament of ECOWAS’ resolve to promote and defend democracy in West Africa. Therefore, whether or not a winner of a presidential election has control over the state’s territory, ECOWAS will act to enforce its agreed protocols.