Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 43 Yakubu Gowon and Gnassingbe Eyadema of Nigeria and Togo respectively in this regard is worth recalling. 55 The demise of the Cold War which ended autocratic rule in most of Central and Eastern Europe also induced the flowering of civil liberties and the rule of law globally(Huntington: 1991). Africa in general and West Africa, in particular, seemed to have benefited from this democratic wave with the development of democratic institutions and representative government across the length and breadth of the sub-region, perceptively described by some as“the taming of the leviathan”. 56 While these developments heralded the impetus for democratic consolidation, it inadvertently also set into motion ethnic, religious and nationalist tensions and disturbances in some countries. The result was the configuration of opposition forces around out-spoken but popular political elites who successfully galvanised the support of disgruntled youth willing to disburse their productive energies on very destructive wars and conflicts. 57 The engagement of the ECOWAS in the management of conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire since the early 1990s provides ample evidence of the twin problem of state disintegration and consolidation in the African context. It also led to the reversal of the gains of democratisation in others, for instance, Guinea and Nigeria. In effect, the demise of the Cold War raised the banner of insecurity in the sub-region and brought to the forefront the imperative to further develop and deepen the culture of constitutional rule, democratic control of the security sector as well as harmonious civil-military relations. 58 In the midst of these developments, every attempt was made by the ECOWAS leadership to develop institutional mechanisms or policy initiatives that could strengthen the organisation to achieve its set objectives towards the overall economic development and political integration of the sub-region. This was executed through direct interventions by the ad-hoc ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in the conflicts that ravaged the sub-region. Despite the imperfections in the performance of ECOMOG in the Liberia civil war(Vogt: 1992) and later in the Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire conflicts, some important lessons were learnt. The ECOWAS took cognisance of the loose defence structure around which its operations were organised and issued a new policy instrument to mitigate the 55 Mention is made of the pioneering roles of General Yakubu Gowon of Nigeria, General Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo and to some extent General Kutu Acheampong of Ghana. The only exception was the invaluable input of the civilian head of state, President Tolbert of Liberia. 56 For some insight on this development, see Richard Sanbrook,“Taming the African Leviathan.” World Policy Journal, Fall, 1990, pp. 673-701. 57 Jeffrey Herbst,“Responding to State Failure in Africa.” International Security, Vol. 21, No. 3, W inter 1996/1997, pp. 121-144; See also Robert H. Jackson, Quasi-States: Sovereignty, International Relations and the Third World.(Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1990). 58 United States Institute of Peace,“Responding to War and State Collapse in West Africa.” Special Report, No. 81, February, 2002.