West African bloc says region is in a state of emergency after surge in coups

ABUJA, Nigeria — Coups and attempted coups in West Africa, along with escalating security challenges, have left the region in a state of emergency, a leader of the regional bloc said Tuesday.

Omar Touray, president of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, spoke to the bloc’s mediation and security council two days after a failed coup attempt in Benin, the latest in a string of military takeovers and attempted takeovers. Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau removed former President Umaro Embalo.

Also on Tuesday, Nigeria’s Senate approved a request from President Bola Tinubu to deploy troops in Benin at its government's request. Nigeria had carried out airstrikes on armored vehicles during the attempted takeover there, also at the government's request.

“Events of the last few weeks have shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community,” Touray said. “Faced with this situation, Excellencies, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency.”

It was not immediately clear whether his declaration was a formal one and what it might entail.

The bloc has faced criticism over its uneven response to the coups in recent years.

Touray's declaration may be an attempt to restore credibility for the bloc following a threatened but never acted-on intervention following a coup in Niger in 2023, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

“ECOWAS is concerned that coups will become the new mainstream in West Africa,” Laessing said. “Now they try to show they mean business."