ECOWAS has declared a state of emergency as coups spread across West Africa, warning elections now fuel instability
President of the ECOWAS Commission Omar Touray declared an ECOWAS state of emergency on Tuesday as he addressed the 55th session of the Mediation and Security Council at ministerial level in Abuja, citing the surge in coups and attempted mutinies across West Africa.
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Touray said the recent developments demand urgent reflection on the future of democracy in the region and a renewed investment in collective security.
The declaration followed back-to-back political upheavals. In Guinea-Bissau last month, military officers took control of government and suspended the electoral process days after a presidential poll.
On Sunday, soldiers in Benin Republic also announced a takeover, a situation that drew intervention from the Nigerian Air Force following a request from the Benin government.
Hours later, the Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, accused Nigeria of violating its airspace and warned it had the authority to neutralise intruders.
Touray described the escalating tensions as a grave threat to regional stability and said the pattern shows how fragile electoral systems have become.
He warned that elections are now a major source of political instability despite long-standing ECOWAS protocols designed to guarantee constitutional order and transparent polls.
His remarks come as Guinea, Benin, Gambia and Cape Verde prepare for upcoming elections.
Touray added that ECOWAS must renegotiate its security cooperation with the Sahel alliance as terrorist groups along shared borders continue to intensify attacks.
He stressed the need for member states to pool resources to confront terrorism and banditry, which operate without regard for national boundaries.
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Touray urged the council to protect unity within ECOWAS despite rising geopolitical pressures and described cooperation as vital to safeguarding democratic gains.
