ECOWAS Declares State of Emergency Across West Africa

• ECOWAS has declared a state of emergency following a wave of coups and attempted takeovers across West Africa.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has declared a state of emergency, citing increasing political instability, coups and mutinies across the region.

Omar Touray, president of the ECOWAS Commission, made the declaration on Tuesday during the 55th session of the mediation and security council at ministerial level in Abuja. The meeting was called in response to recent disruptions to democratic processes in several member countries.

Touray said the developments demand urgent reflection on the future of democracy in the region and a renewed investment in collective security.

The announcement follows a series of recent events:

• A group of military officers disrupted governance in Guinea-Bissau, suspending the electoral process just days after citizens had voted.
• On Sunday, soldiers in Benin Republic announced a takeover. The Nigerian Air Force was deployed shortly after to restore constitutional order, based on a request from Benin’s government.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a breakaway bloc, accused Nigeria of violating its airspace and warned it could respond.

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

He noted that elections have now become a major source of instability in West Africa. Despite ECOWAS efforts to promote democratic principles, political practices continue to undermine stability, he said.

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Upcoming elections in Guinea, Benin, Gambia and Cape Verde heighten concerns over further unrest.

Touray stressed that ECOWAS must maintain unity while negotiating security cooperation with the AES, especially as terrorist activity along shared borders remains a threat.

“We must pool our resources to confront the threats of terrorism and banditry, which operate without respect for territorial boundaries,” he said, urging member states to respond with urgency and solidarity.