REGIONAL COOPERATION IN AFRICA: THE WEST AFRICAN EXPERIENCE

This comprehensive assessment examines regional cooperation initiatives in West Africa during the mid-1980s, analyzing the achievements, challenges, and prospects of various integration efforts in the subregion. The article explores the institutional framework for regional cooperation, with particular focus on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other subregional organizations. The research investigates the economic dimensions of regional cooperation, including trade liberalization efforts, monetary cooperation, infrastructure development, and sectoral integration programs. The study examines the security dimension of regional cooperation, analyzing conflict resolution mechanisms, peacekeeping initiatives, and collective security arrangements. The article assesses the political challenges to regional integration, including sovereignty concerns, leadership rivalries, and different political systems among member states. The research also evaluates the impact of external factors, including global economic conditions and major power interests, on West African regional cooperation. Furthermore, the analysis identifies strategic priorities for strengthening regional integration and enhancing its contribution to development and stability in West Africa.

Regional cooperation in West Africa represented one of the most advanced integration experiments in the developing world, with this article providing a comprehensive assessment of the West African experience during the mid-1980s. The research begins by examining the historical context of regional cooperation in West Africa, tracing the evolution from colonial-era arrangements to contemporary integration initiatives led by African states. The analysis explores the institutional architecture of regional cooperation, focusing particularly on ECOWAS as the primary framework for economic integration, but also examining other organizations including the Mano River Union, West African Economic Community, and various river basin organizations. The article investigates economic integration efforts, assessing progress in trade liberalization through preferential tariff arrangements, monetary cooperation through the West African Monetary Union, and sectoral integration in areas including transportation, energy, and telecommunications. The study examines the security dimension of regional cooperation, analyzing the development of conflict resolution mechanisms, the experience with peacekeeping interventions, and the evolution of collective security concepts in the West African context. The research evaluates the political challenges to integration, including tensions between francophone and anglophone countries, leadership competition among major states, and different approaches to economic management and political governance. Based on the comprehensive assessment, the article identifies both significant achievements and persistent obstacles in West African regional cooperation and analyzes the factors that will determine the future trajectory of integration efforts. The findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of regional cooperation in developing regions and contribute to understanding how subregional organizations can promote both economic development and political stability.