Episode 30: Countering Coups, Terrorism and Insecurity - Insights from ECOWAS

Chatham House

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has historically had a strong record of regional norm-setting on governance and democracy. Yet ECOWAS now faces significant challenges in how to reorient its role and credibility amid a rise in military and 'constitutional' coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and most recently in Niger. On this episode of Africa Aware, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS's Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, discusses the regional bloc’s immediate response to the coup in Niger, and outlines the organization's strategic vision for tackling the complex peace and security challenges in the Sahel and West Africa.