LEGITIMACY OF THE ROLE OF AFRICAN REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS IN ENFORCING DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN MEMBER STATES

Abstract

States voluntarily form or join international organisations in order to benefit from the advantages of collectivism in the implementation of common objectives and shared values instruments which they adopted. The overall aim is to promote international peace, security, stability and cordial relationships in the international arena while pursuing their national interests. Thus, African leaders are convinced that the socio-economic development of Africa can only be accelerated within the framework of increased and well co–ordinated multilateral co–operation. Accordingly, in order to confront the challenges posed by political instability and democratic governance deficit sometimes leading to unconstitutional changes of government with its debilitating effect on the consolidation of democracy, regional and sub-regional organizations in Africa have adopted shared values instruments and established mechanisms for their implementation with the objective of democratic consolidation. In this connection, this article focused on the role of African Union and the Economic Community of West African States respectively and argued, that the formation of regional organisations as a means to solve their common problems in a concerted manner implies that these organisations have adopted the idea of ‘pooled sovereignty’ or ‘supranationalism’ as a necessary approach for the achievement of Africa’s development agenda. Against the above background, the justification for regional organisations’ intervention in States in order to enforce regional decisions on democratic consolidation is analysed vis a vis the challenge of sovereignty. The article adopted the doctrinal methodology and predicated the analysis on the theory of collective security and the functionalist theory. It is then concluded, that both global and regional organizations have a justification for developing legal frameworks and policies aimed at upholding fundamental constitutional values, including the rule of law, democracy and the protection of human rights extra-territorially.