ECOWAS declares state of emergency as coups, terrorism surge across West Africa

Coronavirus: ECOWAS orders staff to work from home

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has declared a state of emergency across the region, warning that West Africa is now facing an unprecedented combination of political upheavals, military interventions, democratic setbacks, terrorist expansion and worsening humanitarian conditions.

The announcement was made by Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, during the 55th Session of the Mediation and Security Council at ministerial level in Abuja on Tuesday.

In his assessments, Touray said recent events demand urgent collective action and a serious reassessment of the region’s democratic and security architecture.

Touray told ministers, diplomats and senior officials that country-by-country risk analyses before the Council show a rapidly deteriorating situation in virtually all member states, with an overall assessment classified as “high risk.”

Read also: ECOWAS leaders warn of democratic collapse, demand urgent regional action

According to him, the region is grappling with persistent military interventions, including the recent crisis in Guinea-Bissau and the attempted coup in Benin Republic just days ago.

He also pointed to the failure of Guinea’s military authorities to comply with agreed transition norms, growing erosion of electoral inclusivity, the expanding reach of terrorist and criminal networks, and mounting geopolitical pressures that are straining regional diplomacy.

He said West Africa is now witnessing a troubling trend in which elections, once viewed as symbols of democratic progress, have instead become major triggers of instability.

The rise in armed activity and political disruptions, he warned, has created an environment in which the region can no longer rely on ordinary security responses.

“Faced with this situation, Excellencies, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency,” Touray declared.

He called for more frequent meetings of the Mediation and Security Council over the next year, insisting that ECOWAS must pool its resources and develop a coordinated response to terrorism, banditry and cross-border crime, which he said operate with little regard for national boundaries.

Touray outlined several areas requiring sustained ministerial engagement, including the political situation in Guinea-Bissau, the management of fragile transitions across countries led by military governments, rising tensions linked to political exclusion, and the need to safeguard regional unity at a time of increasing external pressures.

He also highlighted the deepening humanitarian crisis, citing recent United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data showing that as of October 2025, around 7.6 million people have been forcibly displaced across West Africa, including more than 6.5 million internally displaced persons.

Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali currently account for the largest displaced populations, while Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo host the highest numbers of asylum seekers.

Touray warned that the humanitarian situation is worsening and urged member states to reverse the trend before it spirals further out of control.

He assured citizens of ECOWAS member states that the regional body remains committed to restoring stability and defending democratic norms.

He encouraged countries to remain united and uphold the ECOWAS Constitutional Convergence Principles, noting that the credibility of the regional organisation depends on its ability to act decisively.

Touray also welcome new ministerial representatives attending the session for the first time, including Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence and José Luis Livramento, Cabo Verde’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In his remarks, Timothy Kabba, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, echoed the Commission President’s warnings, describing the recent turbulence in Guinea-Bissau and the attempted coup in Benin Republic as sobering reminders of the fragility of democratic gains across the region.

Kabba disclosed that he led a delegation to Guinea-Bissau on December 1 to engage with military leaders and political actors, an intervention he said helped ease tensions and reopened channels for ongoing dialogue.

He emphasised that ECOWAS will not tolerate the resurgence of coups or any form of unconstitutional change of government, stressing that such actions undermine the core values of the community and pose a direct threat to regional peace and security.

Kabba urged the ministers to ensure that the discussions at the session lead to concrete outcomes rather than vague commitments, noting that citizens across the region have grown increasingly impatient with promises that fail to translate into action.

The meeting of the Mediation and Security Council comes ahead of the summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, who are to deliberate on the Council’s recommendations amid mounting pressure to restore stability across the region.

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