MILITARY COUPS AND THE CRISIS OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN WEST AFRICA: ASSESSING ECOWAS’ INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS (2010 - 2024)

Abstract

Since 2010, West Africa has experienced a resurgence of military coups, which has significantly disrupted governance and regional cooperation. This development raises questions about the effectiveness of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in upholding its democratic principles and its objective of maintaining regional integration. Although ECOWAS has established a normative framework that condemns unconstitutional changes of government, the recurring coups in countries such as Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger reveal a significant gap between its declared commitments and its capacity for effective enforcement. This study examines ECOWAS’s responses to coups between 2010 and 2024 and evaluates the implications for regional cohesion. Employing a qualitative comparative case study approach, the research analyses official ECOWAS communiqués, policy instruments, and existing scholarly literature. The findings indicate that while ECOWAS has maintained its normative commitments, the implementation of these principles has been inconsistent. This inconsistency has weakened the organization’s deterrence capacity and gradually eroded its legitimacy among member states and regional populations. The study contributes to broader scholarly discussions on regional governance, democratic consolidation, and the stability of postcolonial states. It demonstrates that repeated military interventions have gradually transformed ECOWAS from an organization primarily focused on regional integration into one increasingly preoccupied with crisis management. These transformations have important implications for the future of regional cooperation and peace in West Africa.