West African Presidents Meet Amid Regional Tension, After several Coups

 

West African leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held a summit in Abuja, Nigeria, on December 14, 2025, to address the escalating political and security crises in the region, particularly a recent string of coups and attempted military takeovers.

Key Issues and Discussions

Recent Instability: The summit agenda was dominated by two recent incidents: a successful coup in Guinea-Bissau in November 2025, which saw President Umaro Embalo deposed, and a foiled military takeover in Benin a week prior. These events have "rattled" the regional bloc, which had already seen coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger between 2020 and 2023.

Declaration of Emergency: Ahead of the summit, on December 9, 2025, ECOWAS declared a "state of emergency" in West Africa due to the recurring unconstitutional changes of government and escalating security challenges.

Security in the Sahel: Leaders discussed the worsening security situation in the Sahel region, where jihadist groups are waging insurgencies that are spreading southward toward coastal states. Sierra Leone President Julius Bio, the current ECOWAS chairman, emphasized that "no border can insulate us from violence".

Alliance of Sahel States (AES): The three junta-controlled nations (Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger) have left ECOWAS and formed their own group, the AES. The ECOWAS Commission President, Alieu Touray, called for negotiations with the AES over shared security concerns.

Root Causes of Coups: The underlying drivers of the instability, such as weak governance, high youth unemployment, poverty, and leaders attempting to extend their terms in office, were also noted as critical issues that need addressing to prevent further military interventions.

Summit Outcomes and Next Steps

The leaders met to discuss concrete measures, with an extraordinary summit expected in the coming weeks to formalize an action plan. Potential measures include strengthened sanctions, deployment of standby forces, and reforms to the bloc's protocol on democracy and good governance.

An ECOWAS mission was sent to Guinea-Bissau following the coup there, and the delegation's findings were presented at the summit for a decision on the next steps.

Nigeria had previously carried out airstrikes and deployed troops to assist the government in Benin during its foiled coup attempt.

Heads of state from suspended members (Guinea and Guinea-Bissau) were not in attendance.