Why ECOWAS leaders are calling for urgent action on West Africa’s unrest
West African leaders have admitted that the region is facing worsening security threats, rising political instability, and growing extremist violence.
The warning came during the annual summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), held on June 22 in Abuja, Nigeria.
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, who took over as the new ECOWAS chair, said the region was "at a crossroads" and needed urgent action.
He called for a stronger regional security system to deal with terrorism, armed groups, and cross-border crimes.
According to him, democracy in some countries was under pressure, and the rule of law had been disrupted.
His comments reflect deepening concern over the impact of recent military coups and the worsening jihadist violence in the Sahel.
Over the past decade, nearly half of ECOWAS member states have experienced coups or attempted takeovers. Three of them, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have since left the bloc and formed their own alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States.
Jihadist groups have continued to expand their presence across the region, launching deadly attacks in Mali, targeting cities in Burkina Faso, and killing soldiers in Niger. Nigeria, which hosted the summit, has also seen a rise in attacks in recent weeks.
Outgoing ECOWAS chair President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria said that while the bloc had made diplomatic efforts to bring the three military-led states back, violent extremism and cross-border threats remained major obstacles.
He warned that ECOWAS must urgently make its planned regional standby force operational.
The 5,000-strong standby force was announced last year to help respond to terrorism and political instability. But Tinubu expressed concern over delays in setting it up, saying the region could no longer wait.
ECOWAS has a history of military deployments in crises, including past missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
