Instability: ECOWAS Declares Regional State of Emergency 

By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS has declared a state of emergency across the region, citing worsening political instability, rising coups and attempted coups, and escalating security threats.

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

Touray warned that West Africa now faces an “average high-risk rating” based on assessments of member states, pointing to recent military interventions in Guinea-Bissau and the Benin Republic, growing political exclusion, and the expanding influence of terrorists and criminal networks.

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

He noted that elections have increasingly become major triggers of instability, while political transitions in countries like Guinea remain uncertain.

He also highlighted ongoing discussions with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and rising geopolitical pressures affecting regional cohesion.

Touray called for more frequent meetings of the Mediation and Security Council and urged countries to pool resources to confront terrorism and banditry “which operate without respect for borders.”

He also raised concerns about worsening humanitarian conditions, revealing that as of October 2025, about 7.6 million people are forcibly displaced in West Africa, including 6.5 million internally displaced persons.

Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali account for the largest displaced populations.

In his remarks, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Timothy Kabba, described the recent crises in Guinea-Bissau and Benin as reminders of the region’s fragile democratic gains.

Kabba said ECOWAS “cannot and will not accept” the resurgence of coups, stressing that citizens expect concrete actions rather than repeated commitments.

The ministerial meeting comes ahead of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government Summit, where leaders are expected to deliberate on measures to restore stability amid mounting regional tensions.