ECOWAS: Conflict resolution and building a system of regional cooperation, achievements and failures

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with sixteen member countries, has two major objectives: political and economic. The political objective is designed to bring about peaceful relations among the sixteen countries of West Africa. The economic objective is intended to help surmount the disadvantage of small size markets and of realizing balanced economic growth among ECOWAS members. This study focuses on the achievements and failures in meeting these objectives. It includes a brief history of the pre-colonial and colonial influences leading to the development of ECOWAS.;The thesis provides a detailed analysis of conflicts in the West African Region. The research also identifies conflicts among ECOWAS members, analyzes these conflicts, then proposes and formulates constructive methods of resolving them.;The achievements and failures of ECOWAS are examined by testing three hypotheses: (1) Political stability of ECOWAS determines economic stability of the member-countries. (2) Building economic cooperation depends on resolution of conflict within the West African region. (3) Achievements of ECOWAS members depend on the Community's commitment to its Treaty. Within limits, the findings reflect at least some support for the hypotheses.;This thesis concludes that the West African States need integration now more than ever. However, in pursuance of their strategies for political and economic policies, they should be vigilant regarding those policies to imitate and those to avoid. Those policies which are externally oriented and inappropriate to the African people must be avoided.