ECOWAS @ 50: Jihadist violence and coups test West Africa

Fifty years of ECOWAS, and what do we have? On Wednesday, May 28, 2025 a most senior official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said the bloc faces growing threats of terrorism, climate change, military coups, and poverty as leaders marked 50 years since the bloc’s formation in Nigeria.

The regional bloc is struggling to hold itself together while jihadist violence and military coups tear West Africa apart.

ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray said, “We are confronting the greatest challenges we face today: terrorism, climate change, unconstitutional change of government, poverty and economic disparities.”

ECOWAS was founded on May 28, 1975, and it is supposed to be the backbone of regional stability, fostering economic growth, security cooperation, and democratic governance. However, the bloc is facing its worst existential crisis even five decades down the line.

Once founding members, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have withdrawn officially from ECOWAS in January 2025. The three junta-led governments have established their own confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). They also cut military and diplomatic ties with Western powers and sought closer cooperation with Russia.

Jihadist violence has surged across Nigeria and the Sahel region, with terrorist groups exploiting political instability to expand their influence. Meanwhile, ECOWAS leaders gather in Lagos, Nigeria, to celebrate their 50th anniversary, issuing statements about resilience while their authority crumbles.