Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, has declared a state of emergency amid escalating violent extremism and terror, military coups d’etat, banditry, and political instability in the sub-region.
Touray declared this during the 55th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial level in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the events of the last few weeks had shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of democracy and the urgent need to invest in the sub-region’s security.
According to him, country-by-country analyses of member states shows different risk levels across the sub-region from high to medium, with a high risk average, which requires immediate and concerted action.
“Faced with this situation, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency.
“We must confront these threats with the attention they deserve.
“For that, the sessions of the mediation and security council should be organised more regularly beyond the two ordinary sessions for the next one year.
“We must pool our resources to confront the threats of terrorism and banditry, which operate without respect for territorial boundaries.
“We must therefore take decisions and actions that will reverse this trend,” he said.
Touray said elections in the sub-region had become a major trigger of instability, notwithstanding
ECOWAS’ best efforts to establish constitutional convergence principles, and safeguard its democratic credentials and stability.
In line with the emergency, he said the MSC must constantly monitor the political and security situation in West Africa with a view to providing guidance and enabling regional action.
He said that ECOWAS must also negotiate with its Alliance of Sahel States (AES) neighbours, particularly regarding their security cooperation amid the devastating effect of terrorism along their common borders.
“In the coming days and months into next year, we will be witnessing elections in Guinea, Republic of Benin, the Gambia, and Cape Verde.
“We will also be managing the post-events relating to the coup in Guinea-Bissau and the coup attempt in the Republic of Benin,” he said.
The commission’s president said that West Africa was also confronted with humanitarian challenges whereby families, women and children bore the brunt of instability.
He said that as of Oct. 2025, approximately 7.6 million individuals were forcibly displaced across West and Central Africa, reflecting an increase from 7.4 million recorded in March.
Touray said that of this figure, 6,506,270 were internally displaced persons (IDPs), with Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali accounting for the highest figures, quoting United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees sources.
“Additionally, there are 1,094,742 refugees and asylum seekers. An analysis of asylum seeker distribution shows that the ten countries hosting the largest populations, in descending order, are Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin, Senegal, and Gambia.
“Let me assure our community citizens that we will not rest on our oars. We will continue to work harder to promote peaceful, stable and stronger region for the overall benefit of Community citizens.
“Let us all remain committed to preserving regional unity, advancing peace, and upholding the Community’s Constitutional Convergence Principles,” he said.
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman, ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Timothy Kabba, warned that the sub-region’s escalating political and security turbulence threatened democratic governance and eroded public confidence.
“Our citizens are understandably anxious. They are looking to us not just for expressions of concern, but for leadership that translates commitment into action.
“Our resolutions must go beyond rhetoric, our people no longer have patience for commitments that remain unpaid. They expect seriousness, unity and purpose,” he added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting aimed at reviewing the sub-region’s political and security landscape with a view to developing strategic actions to address emerging challenges. (NAN)