By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, on Sunday drew a firm line against unconstitutional changes of government, condemning recent coups and attempted coups in the sub-region, warning of targeted sanctions against offenders.
The regional body reaffirmed its readiness to deploy the ECOWAS Standby Force to defend constitutional order.
At the close of the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, ECOWAS Commission President, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, who read the highlights of the final communiqué, outlined far-reaching decisions on regional security, democratic governance and institutional leadership.
Dr Touray said the summit, attended by Heads of State, Vice Presidents and Ministers from all member states, reviewed the Community’s 2025 Annual Report and assessed peace and security developments across West Africa.
According to him, the Authority recognised the “relative stability and resilience” of the region, commended the conduct of recent presidential and general elections in Guinea-Bissau and Côte d’Ivoire, and welcomed preparations by Benin ahead of its forthcoming polls.
The Authority also acknowledged progress in Sierra Leone in implementing the Agreement for National Unity between the government and the opposition All People’s Congress.
On The Gambia, ECOWAS expressed grave concern over statements made from exile by former President Yahya Jammeh, warning that the pronouncements breached the conditions of his asylum in Equatorial Guinea and posed a threat to peace, security and social cohesion.
Dr Touray said the Authority stressed that the joint ECOWAS-African Union-United Nations declaration preceding Jammeh’s departure did not absolve him of accountability for allegations of human rights violations committed during his rule between 1994 and 2016.
The Authority also condemned democratic setbacks in the region, denouncing the coup in Guinea-Bissau as a subversion of the will of the electorate and condemning, without reservation, the attempted coup in Benin.
It applauded the swift intervention of the ECOWAS Standby Force, alongside national forces from Benin, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Sierra Leone, describing the action as a demonstration of regional solidarity.
On Guinea-Bissau, ECOWAS rejected the transition programme announced by the military leadership, demanded the immediate release of all political detainees, and called for a short, inclusive transition led by a civilian government reflecting the country’s political and social diversity.
The Authority authorised the ECOWAS military mission in the country to protect political leaders and national institutions, mandated the Chair of the Authority to lead a fresh high-level mission to Bissau, and directed the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff to engage the military authorities.
“The Authority insists that failure to comply with its decisions will attract targeted sanctions against individuals or groups obstructing the return to constitutional order,” Dr Touray said, adding that ECOWAS had called on the African Union and international partners to support its efforts.
On Guinea, he said the Authority welcomed progress in the transition process ahead of the December 28 elections and confirmed that ECOWAS would deploy election observers.
The summit also reshaped the region’s institutional leadership ahead of the end of the current Commission’s mandate in July 2026.
Consequently, Senegal was named to assume the Presidency of the ECOWAS Commission, with Nigeria as Vice President.
Other statutory portfolios were allocated to Sierra Leone (Political Affairs, Peace and Security), Liberia (Economic Affairs and Agriculture), Côte d’Ivoire (Internal Services), Ghana (Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation), and Benin (Human Development and Social Affairs).
ECOWAS also endorsed Ghana’s candidature for Chairperson of the African Union in 2027 and indicated that Liberia would assume the ECOWAS Commission Presidency between 2030 and 2034, subject to meeting the required criteria.
Earlier, before closing, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority, urged the bloc to rebalance its focus by intensifying economic integration after decades dominated by security crises.
“We have a strong belief that we will raise this community to meet its mandate as an economic community,” President Bio said. “But over the last 50 years, we have been more engaged in security, because insecurity is the deepest enemy of development.”
He stressed that meaningful regional integration would remain elusive without stability, while calling for urgent investment in education, jobs and opportunities for West Africa’s rapidly growing youth population.
President Bio described the Abuja summit as taking place at a critical moment for the region, grappling with economic pressures, persistent security threats and multiple, overlapping crises.
“This meeting was dedicated to confronting our inadequacies, addressing our economic and security challenges, and paving the way for a better future for our young people,” he said.
He commended Nigeria for hosting the summit and thanked fellow Heads of State and Government, the ECOWAS Commission and development partners for their cooperation, noting that it was “a privilege to serve the nearly 400 million people of our community.”
The post ECOWAS cracks down on coups, warns Jammeh, reorders regional power structure appeared first on Vanguard News.
