'We have chased Blaise, so nobody can resist us': Civil society and the politics of ECOWAS intervention in Burkina Faso. Issue 1 (2nd January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Saidou, Abdoul Karim
• Is Part Of: South African journal of international affairs. Volume 25:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 39
• Page End: 60
• Publication Date: 2018-01-02
• Subjects: Burkina Faso -- ECOWAS -- West Africa -- mediation -- civil society -- popular uprising; South Africa -- Foreign relations -- Periodicals; South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1989-1994 -- Periodicals; International relations -- Periodicals; World politics -- 1945-1989 -- Periodicals; 968
• DOI: 10.1080/10220461.2018.1417899
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1022-0461

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article analyses the limits of ECOWAS' top-down approach to mediation, based on a case study from Burkina Faso in 2014 and 2015. It shows the growing importance of ordinary citizens in the regulation of political arenas, both at the domestic and the regional level, as well as citizens' impact on ECOWAS mediation in Burkina Faso. It thereby argues that mediation in 'revolutionary' situations is hardly feasible. In Burkina Faso, the 2014 popular uprising created a new kind of citizenry who felt 'sovereign' and expressed its grievances through mass mobilisations. In such political contexts, regional mediation, which aims at re-establishing stability and power-sharing agreements, becomes problematic because it contradicts the spirit 'from the streets'. Moreover, the top-down approach also erodes the legitimacy of the mediators, who are perceived to work against 'the people's will'. The reflection draws attention to the tensions between international mediators and actors from below and highlights the need to craft new strategies for conducting mediation in the context of popular uprisings.