International conflict resolution expert has described as hypocritical the frenzy ECOWAS attaches to military coups in the sub-region while tacitly endorsing civilian leaders who overthrow constitutions.

Col. (Rtd) Festus Aboagye said it is equally baseless for the group to use sovereignty as an excuse when Presidents reengineer constitutions to give themselves third terms and yet interfere when the military overthrows such persons.

Reacting to the sanctions imposed on Guinea’s military junta at Thursday’s extraordinary meeting by ECOWAS in Accra, the retired army officer outlined several reasons why they will not make much of an impact.

“When it affects civilian leaders, then they cite sovereignty,” he said on JoyNews AM Show.

Col. Aboagye said although there may be a new regime, albeit military, Guinea is still a state, “so at a minimum, the vehemence that ECOWAS attaches to addressing military coups, the same vehemence must be applied and deployed by ECOWAS when civilian leaders misapply the rules and the regulations”.

He says it’s about Africans took another look at how regional organisations are organised and whether membership should be based on benchmarks or should include “the good, the bad and the ugly” as happens in the case in Africa.