EXPANSION OF ECOWAS WHIMS FROM REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION TO HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CASES: A CRITIQUE

Abstract

The establishment of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) came into existence at a time of searching for a perfect economic performance and social stability led African leaders to seek integration and/or cooperation among their countries. The African economic integration steps derived considerably from the European experience, by way of institutional design, ideologies and theories that have formed the foundation of most arrangements. The ECOWAS established six institutions among which are ECOWAS Court of justice in order to interpret ECOWAS treaties and settle disputes among member States. However, in year 2005, human rights mandate was covered on this Court which transformed it into an international law court to handle human rights abuse cases within West African region. Since acquiring jurisdiction over human rights violation in 2005, the ECOWAS Court has issued numerous decisions condemning human rights violations by the member states of the Economic Community of West African States. To this end, this paper, while adopting analytical research methodology, examines the role of ECOWAS institutions in discharging their duties. The paper revealed that the new mandate and its initial objective of promoting economic integration in West African states have therefore generated a series of reactions in the sub-region, most especially in Nigeria.