Editor, RE: “Regional response best way to avert calamities” (The New Times, January 21). Concerted effort and resolute steps were possible because Gambia is a tiny and weak country surrounded 99% by Senegal. What if the previous President of Ghana had refused to step down after his defeat, do you think any of the members of the Ecowas would be talking about sending their troops there? Or they would be knocking on doors of European countries begging them to send their armies to Ghana. Sendi ********************** While I believe Yahya Jammeh was an autocrat, I thought the threat and move by Ecowas to enforce democracy in The Gambia was selective-justice, and it’s not fair. I say this because the threat of military intervention was only possible because of the small size of the country’s military (1,000 men). I want to see presidents of other countries with sizable military threatened to be removed by force. Zamu Isma ************************ What about the military intervention that was carried out in Côte d’Ivoire when the then President Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down after losing elections? It was the resolve of Ecowas that Gbagbo had to go. How that was achieved is largely academic. You should also note that, in terms of land size, Ghana is smaller than Côte d’Ivoire. Please give Ecowas some credit for their foresight and unity in purpose. Tamba
