The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has initiated a contingency plan to resolve the potential security and economic consequences of the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from the regional bloc. The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security – Abdel-Fatau Musah expressed this at the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDS) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 where he underscored the urgent need for a critical review of security arrangements in the West African and Sahel regions.
Musah highlighted that the exit of the three countries – which became official on January 29, has ignited serious concerns about regional stability. He called on ECOWAS defence chiefs to painstakingly examine the impact of their departure, specifically given the already weak security situation in the Sahel. Mentioning the Global Terrorism Index, he noted that the region accounted for 51 percent of global terrorism-related deaths in 2024, which he attributed to weak governance, ethnic tensions, environmental degradation and the increasing influence of transnational jihadist groups.
He further noted that the newly formed Alliance of Sahelian States—comprising Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger—has been restructuring its security and economic policies.. actively reducing Western involvement and severing ties with ECOWAS. He emphasized that the situation demands collaborative action to safeguard the region’s stability and uphold the shared vision of a peaceful and prosperous West Africa. As part of these efforts, he called for accelerated planning towards activating the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in its kinetic form to combat terrorism and other security threats.
The meeting also served as a platform for discussing resolutions from the previous ECOWAS summit in August 2024 and assessing recent developments affecting the bloc’s security landscape. Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru reaffirmed the determination of ECOWAS member states to addressing the security challenges confronting the region and thereby emphasized the need for unity and proactive measures.
The high-level meeting was attended by defence chiefs from ECOWAS member states with the exception of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Key attendees included Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff – General Christopher Musa, Chief of Army Staff – Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Naval Staff – Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Air Staff – Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, Chief of Defence Intelligence – Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, and Inspector General of Police – Kayode Egbetokun. Diplomats and other key security stakeholders were present also.
As ECOWAS struggle with the implications of this unheard-of withdrawal, the focus remains on preventing further instability in the region and ensuring that collaborative security efforts are strengthened to resolve emerging threats.
