ECOWAS Declares Regional State of Emergency

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has declared a regional state of emergency following a surge in military coups, attempted power grabs and political instability across West Africa. The announcement was made by ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Alieu Touray, during the 55th ordinary session of the bloc’s Mediation and Security Council at ministerial level, held on December 9, 2025, in Abuja.

Addressing ministers and diplomats, Touray warned that the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government poses a severe threat to peace, democracy and regional stability. He called for urgent introspection on the fragility of democratic institutions in the sub-region, saying the current situation demands “deep reflection on the future of democracy in our sub-region” and a substantial increase in investment toward collective security mechanisms.

The emergency declaration follows an attempted coup in Benin, where security forces recently disrupted a plot to overthrow the government. The incident adds to a growing list of political crises that include successful military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger since 2020, as well as ongoing unrest in several other ECOWAS member states.

In response to the deteriorating situation, ECOWAS leaders are expected to convene an extraordinary summit in the coming weeks to adopt concrete measures under the new emergency framework. Options on the table include tougher sanctions on unconstitutional regimes, activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force, and accelerated reforms to strengthen the bloc’s protocol on democracy and good governance.