The declaration was delivered by Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, on Tuesday during the 55th Session of the Mediation and Security Council at the ministerial level in Abuja.
The meeting was convened in response to a series of coups and failed mutinies across the sub-region. Touray noted that the situation underscores the need for “serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community.”
The emergency declaration follows a turbulent period marked by military takeovers in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea, as well as the recent failed coup attempt in the Benin Republic.
The region is also grappling with political instability in Guinea-Bissau, where a military faction attempted to seize power last month.
