Our Community Is in a State of Emergency” — H.E. Touray Warns as ECOWAS Confronts Rising Instability By Raymond Enoch
ECOWAS Commission President, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, has issued one of his starkest warnings yet, declaring that “our community is in a state of emergency” as West Africa faces escalating political, security and humanitarian crises. Speaking at the Opening Session of the 55th Meeting of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at Ministerial Level in Abuja, Nigeria, Touray urged Member States to intensify collective action and ensure that the MSC convenes “more regularly beyond the two ordinary sessions for the next one year.”
Touray stressed that the region must respond decisively to terrorism, banditry and transnational armed groups that “operate without respect for territorial boundaries.” He outlined urgent priority areas requiring continuous supervision by the Council, including managing the political fallout in Guinea-Bissau and the attempted coup in Benin; ensuring a credible and peaceful transition in Guinea; upholding constitutional norms and preventing political exclusion ahead of elections over the next year; strengthening regional counter-terrorism and anti-organized crime efforts; and preserving unity within ECOWAS amid mounting geopolitical pressures.
He raised concerns over deteriorating humanitarian conditions, noting that behind every figure are “families, women and children who bear the brunt of instability.” Citing new UNHCR data, Touray revealed that as of October 2025 the region hosts 7.6 million forcibly displaced persons, up from 7.4 million in March 2025; 6,506,270 internally displaced persons—mainly in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali; and 1,094,742 refugees and asylum seekers, predominantly in Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo. He emphasised that “we must take decisions and actions that will reverse this trend,” reaffirming ECOWAS’ commitment to promoting a peaceful, stable and stronger region for the benefit of its citizens.
Also speaking at the session, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba, condemned the rising threats to democratic governance in the region and warned that political and security turbulence is eroding public confidence. “Our citizens are understandably anxious. They are looking to us not just for expressions of concern, but for leadership that translates commitment into action,” he said. Kabba added that resolutions must go beyond rhetoric, stressing that “our people no longer have patience for commitments that remain unpaid. They expect seriousness, unity and purpose.”
Kabba welcomed Nigeria’s newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), along with other delegates, and urged them to engage in “frank, constructive and guided conversation with the urgency the moment demands.”
As the region navigates concurrent crises—from coups to extremist violence, electoral vulnerabilities and large-scale displacement—Touray’s declaration of a state of emergency underscores a defining moment for ECOWAS. The Authority of Heads of State and Government is expected to deliberate on the Council’s recommendations in the coming days.
