West African leaders acknowledged worsening insecurity and political turmoil in the region during a summit held Sunday in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, warning that the bloc faces an increasingly precarious situation.
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, who assumed the rotating leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu, described the region as being “at a crossroads” as it grapples with a host of old and emerging threats.
Bio pointed to a growing list of challenges, including terrorism, political upheaval, weapons trafficking, and transnational organised crime affecting both the Sahel and coastal nations.
He called for urgent reforms to bolster regional security, including enhanced intelligence sharing and a stronger rapid response capability.
“The democratic space is under strain in parts of our region—constitutional order has been broken,” he added.
The region has been plagued by a series of military coups and attempted takeovers recently, with nearly half of the bloc’s original members experiencing such disruptions over the past decade.
Earlier this year, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger withdrew from ECOWAS to form their alliance after falling under military rule.
Insurgent groups have taken advantage of the political instability, launching increasingly deadly attacks across the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.
Recent assaults have seen militants conduct raids deep into major cities in Burkina Faso, target military camps in Mali, and inflict significant losses on the army in Niger.
Nigeria, which hosted Sunday’s talks, has also seen a spike in violence, with attacks against villages and military outposts escalating recently.
In his farewell address, outgoing ECOWAS chair Tinubu highlighted the persistent threats that continue to obstruct the bloc’s ambitions, warning of “violent extremism and cross-border crimes” that are expanding across the region.
Despite promises by the military leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to prioritise security after seizing power, violence continues to intensify and now threatens coastal nations more than ever before.
