ECOWAS AND POST-ELECTION CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN COTE D’IVOIRE, (2010-2015) AND GUINEA BISSAU (1997-2002)

This study is carryout with a view to examine the ECOWAS and post-election conflict resolution in Cote d‘Ivoire and Guinea Bissau. The basic contention in this research work is to point out the challenges confronting the ECOWAS in conflict resolution. The ECOWAS statutorily functions is to prevent incessant reoccurrence of conflict in West Africa as been attributed to lack of resource, poor coordination, effectiveness and incompetence of the leadership and most specifically the inability of the ECOWAS to take effective actions in addressing the root causes of the conflict in the sub-region. The study capture the role of the ECOWAS in prevention, resolution, transformation and management of conflict in West Africa sub-region. The ECOWAS has over the years proving it capacity to undertake the successful conflict prevention, peacemaking and conflict resolution under the protocol relating to the mechanism for conflict prevention, peacekeeping, management and security. The commission has achieved remarkable success in fulfilling its mandate by containing violent conflict in the region and carrying conflict prevention intervention through preventive diplomacy initiative, fact-finding mission, diplomatic pressure and mediation. However, the study employed both primary and secondary method of data collection, for the primary data, questionnaire were administered while for the secondary data, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. While mediation theory was adopted as the theoretical underpinning. The study also show the platform use be the ECOWAS in resolving the conflict in Cote d‘Ivoire and Guinea Bissau, it show the ineffectiveness of the ECOWAS as sub-regional organization in resolving the conflict, looking at the AU and UN for intervention. This research work therefore recommend that the ECOWAS as a sub-regional body should come out with a new effective political will that can enable the commission to deal with any insecurity challenging and the reoccurrence of conflict in the sub-region without depending on other regional organization or Western powers.