ECOWAS Deploys Standby Force to Combat Insurgency in West Africa

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has activated its standby force to tackle insurgency and strengthen regional security. Read more on the military action.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has mobilized its Standby Force to address terrorism and other cross-border crimes in the region.

During the Forty-third ordinary meeting of the ECOWAS Committee Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja on Tuesday, Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru revealed that stable peace is crucial for the region’s economic growth.

The minister emphasized the necessity for ECOWAS members to unite against any threats facing the region.

On January 29, 2025, ECOWAS officially acknowledged the departure of its three former members—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic—following the conclusion of a one-year notice period.

Nonetheless, in the “spirit of regional solidarity,” ECOWAS requested its member countries to continue recognizing the national passports of the three departing nations that bear the ECOWAS logo until further notice.

Their exit from the bloc has caused divisions in the region, leaving ECOWAS with an uncertain future.

The three countries under junta leadership officially informed ECOWAS of their intention to withdraw “immediately” in January 2024, citing concerns over the organization’s heavy reliance on France.

Paris has emerged as the shared adversary of the three juntas, which are now inclined to form alliances with countries like Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

However, ECOWAS stipulates that a one-year notice is necessary for the departure to take effect—this deadline is on January 29, 2025.

The three countries in the Sahel region have united to establish a new confederation known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).