Author
Okorocha Matthew Chidiebere
Department of Political Science
Abia State University, Uturu
okorochamatthew@gmail.com +2348061110788
Abstract
The resurgence of military coups in West Africa between
2020 and 2025 has posed one of the greatest threats to
democratic governance and regional stability since the
wave of democratization in the 1990s. During this
period, Mali (2020 and 2021), Guinea (2021), Burkina
Faso (2022), Niger (2023), and the attempted coup in
Sierra Leone (2023) challenged the commitment of the
Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) to constitutional governance. As the
principal regional organization responsible for
promoting democracy, peace, and security, ECOWAS
responded through diplomatic engagements, economic
sanctions, suspension of affected states, mediation
initiatives, and, in the case of Niger, threats of military
intervention. However, these responses generated
significant debates regarding their effectiveness,
consistency, legitimacy, and long-term implications for
regional integration. This article examines ECOWAS’ responses to military coups in West Africa from 2020 to
The study adopts a qualitative research
methodology based on documentary analysis of official
ECOWAS communiquÈs, African Union reports, United
Nations documents, scholarly publications, policy
papers, and media reports. The article is anchored on the
Regional Security Complex Theory, which explains how
security challenges within a geographical region are
interconnected and require collective responses. Findings
indicate that although ECOWAS has demonstrated a
strong normative commitment to constitutional order, its
interventions have achieved mixed outcomes due to
inconsistent enforcement, divergent interests among
member states, declining public confidence, geopolitical
competition, increasing anti-French sentiments,
expanding terrorist insurgencies, and the growing
influence of external actors such as Russia. The study
concludes that ECOWAS must reform its conflict
prevention mechanisms, strengthen democratic
institutions, address governance deficits, and prioritize
preventive diplomacy alongside sanctions. Sustainable
peace in West Africa depends not only on condemning
military coups but also on addressing the structural
conditions that encourage unconstitutional changes of
government.
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