The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has condemned recent coup attempts in Guinea-Bissau and Benin, declaring the incidents a significant threat to regional stability. The declaration was issued during the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, which convened at the Nigerian State House with support from the African Union and the United Nations.
The regional body’s rapid deployment of its standby force to Benin to foil the December 7 coup attempt was widely praised during the session as a powerful demonstration of ECOWAS’s commitment to safeguarding democracy in West Africa.
The summit comes against the backdrop of a turbulent five-year period that has seen military takeovers in Mali (2020, 2021), Burkina Faso (2022), and Niger (2023). The latest incidents in Benin and Guinea-Bissau add to growing concerns among regional leaders about escalating instability across the sub-region.
Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the meeting. He was joined by regional leaders including ECOWAS Chair and Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, Benin’s Foreign Affairs Minister, José Maria Neves of Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire’s Vice President, and Presidents/leaders from The Gambia, Ghana, Senegal, and Togo. Both Guinea-Bissau and Guinea remain suspended from the bloc and were not represented.
Heads of state held extensive closed-door deliberations before and after the official opening, focusing on crucial agenda items such as the future of the community, the 2025 annual report, regional security, ongoing mediation efforts, and political transitions in Guinea.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
