The 69th summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is underway in Freetown, Sierra Leone, marking a pivotal moment for the regional body. As ECOWAS convenes this Sunday, it does so without three of its former members: Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, which have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Discussions are expected to revisit the implications of this separation, with a clear focus on bolstering ECOWAS’s reputation and confronting pressing West Africa security issues.

Charting a course forward without Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso?

Beyond the symbolic implications, West African leaders face a critical question: how will the future trajectory of ECOWAS be shaped following the departure of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, now aligned under the Confederation of Sahel States?

Despite their formal withdrawal from the organization, these three nations remain indispensable neighbors within the West African landscape. Consequently, the heads of state are anticipated to explore avenues for continued dialogue. This aims to safeguard vital commercial exchanges, ensure the free movement of people, and, critically, maintain robust security cooperation in the face of cross-border terrorist threats.

Aliou Diakite, an expert on ECOWAS affairs, underscored the significant stakes involved. He stated, “The core objective is to deliberate on the future of ECOWAS, addressing the governance and security challenges currently confronting the ECOWAS region. These include organized crime linked to terrorism, political transitions during elections, climate change impacts, and the specter of epidemics and pandemics. These are the pressing concerns that compel heads of state and government to discuss the community’s direction for the coming years.”

The ECOWAS standby force: still awaiting full operational status

While numerous topics of vital interest to West African populations are on the agenda, some critical issues have regrettably persisted across multiple summits without definitive resolution.

A prime example is the long-anticipated ECOWAS Standby Force. Despite being announced years ago, this regional military contingent has yet to achieve full operational capability. It is designed to serve as a swift response mechanism against terrorism, political upheavals, and other threats to regional stability.

Preparatory meetings involving ministers and security officials held earlier this week in Freetown clearly demonstrated a collective resolve among several member states to expedite the force’s implementation.

Michel Ange Bangoura, Guinea’s official responsible for cooperation with ECOWAS, acknowledged the existing framework. He remarked, “Institutionally, on paper, ECOWAS has everything in order. The remaining challenge is securing the necessary resources for its deployment, determining the location for its headquarters, or ensuring that each member nation contributes at least one company of personnel.”

When questioned about a projected timeline for the force’s establishment, Michel Ange Bangoura responded, “I believe that during the ongoing discussions in this session, the focus will indeed be on a short-term deployment of this force. Even if it initially involves consolidating units in a specially designated host country.”

Furthermore, the summit is expected to delve into crucial institutional reforms within ECOWAS and the imperative to restore the organization’s credibility, which has been challenged by several years of political crises and coups d’état across the region.