The ECOWAS has long prided itself on its role in promoting democracy, peace, and good governance across the region. However, events in member states, the recent being Guinea-Bissau have highlighted a glaring contradiction in the organization’s approach—one that further undermines its credibility and effectiveness. Under the leadership of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, ECOWAS has taken a firm stance in promoting democratic values across its member states, but the selective enforcement of its Democracy and Good Governance Protocol has raised serious questions about the bloc’s true priorities. In the case of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, ECOWAS has miscalculated, and it may now be regretting its actions.
ECOWAS will mark its 50th anniversary in May 2025, decades that witnessed different initiatives towards achieving the goals of regional integration, economic and security cooperation, and political stability. For decades, the bloc has adhered to a principled stance of non-interference in the internal affairs of its member states, as long as those states have not grossly violated human rights or descended into violent conflict. However, under Tinubu’s chairmanship, ECOWAS has increasingly deviated from this non-interference principle in an attempt to project power and exert influence. The threat of intervention in Niger left the organization fractured.
Now, Guinea-Bissau has been embroiled in a political dispute over the postponement of its presidential elections. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo delayed the general elections that were initially scheduled for November 2024. The opposition claims that his term should have ended by now, and the tensions between the government and opposition have been escalating, especially after the Supreme Court extended his term until September 2025.
ECOWAS, in its quest to enforce democratic principles, deployed a mediation team to Guinea-Bissau in February 2025, hoping to facilitate a political consensus. However, President Embalo’s open hostility towards the mission led to a threat to expel the team. This shows the ebbing of ECOWAS authority in member states. The mission left Guinea-Bissau after just a week, and ECOWAS was forced to reassess its role in the country.
The situation in Guinea-Bissau is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend of ECOWAS actions in member states since July 2024 due to the external influence that has been allowed to shape ECOWAS’s stance. France, the former colonial power in the region, and the United States have played a significant role in shaping the bloc’s policy direction during this period. This external pressure has led ECOWAS to take a more aggressive approach towards military rule, which is an internal matter, to the detriment of the region’s long-term stability.
The irony is that, in trying to enforce democracy and good governance, ECOWAS has gradually allowed the interests of foreign powers to undermine its own principles. ECOWAS has effectively sacrificed its long-standing stance on non-interference in the name of foreign-backed democracy promotion, risking the very foundations on which the bloc was built. In doing so, it has displeased many member states that feel that their sovereignty is being undermined by foreign influence.
Already, the interventionist approach of ECOWAS has also been met with firm resistance in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. The three countries exited ECOWAS and established the Alliances of Sahel States (AES). The AES have seen their populations rally behind the same juntas that ousted their elected leaders. The common sentiment in these countries is clear: the people want to end foreign exploitation and assert their sovereignty, free from the dictates of external powers.
In Mali, for example, the military junta has received widespread support from the population, which is frustrated with the French military presence and the perceived exploitation of the country’s resources. The same sentiment holds in Niger and Burkina Faso, where the juntas have used anti-colonial rhetoric to garner support from the public. For these countries, ECOWAS’ staunch support of democracy and good governance is seen as a form of neo-imperialism.
This growing distrust of ECOWAS’ interventionist stance has left the bloc in a difficult position. The organization’s credibility has been severely damaged as it is seen to prioritize the interests of foreign powers over the wishes of its own member states. If ECOWAS continues to ignore the will of the people in member states, it risks further hastening its decline.
As ECOWAS approaches its golden anniversary, it must reflect on its current trajectory. The interventionist approach, especially in the case of AES, has shown that ECOWAS is miscalculating its role in the region. The organization must recognize that its credibility is built on respect for the sovereignty of its member states and a commitment to non-interference, except in cases of gross human rights violations or violent conflict.
ECOWAS must revise its intervention clauses within the Peace and Security Mechanism and the Democracy and Good Governance Protocols. The current framework allows for too much external influence and too little respect for the internal dynamics of member states. By allowing free riding for members, the organization can restore its credibility and regain the trust of its member states.
Furthermore, ECOWAS must focus on long-term solutions to governance issues rather than short-term fixes. Pushing for free and fair elections, fostering economic development, and promoting regional cooperation should be prioritized over enforcing a rigid democratic framework that does not account for the complexities of each country’s political situation.
A bloc that was once a beacon of hope for regional integration and peace could be reduced to a pawn in the geopolitical game between foreign powers. If ECOWAS does not recalibrate its approach and embrace a more flexible, principled stance, the organization risks losing its relevance completely and join the list of defunct regional and international organizations like the League of Nations, the Warsaw Pact or the Union of African States and so on. The golden anniversary of ECOWAS could very well mark the beginning of its demise unless its leaders take decisive action now to steer the organization back on course.
