Peace, Security and Regional integration: ECOWAS Rallies Citizens in Guinea Bissau to Shape Future for West Africa.

By Raymond Enoch

In a bold move to reshape the region’s future, ECOWAS has launched a high-level three-day consultation in Guinea-Bissau, uniting government leaders, civil society, youth, and women’s groups to forge a citizen-led pact for peace, security, and deeper regional integration. The gathering, which runs from September 24 to 26, marks a pivotal step in aligning ECOWAS policies with the voices of West Africans on the ground.

The initiative, spearheaded by the ECOWAS Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, is part of a dual-city effort, with a parallel dialogue unfolding in Accra, Ghana, focused on democracy and governance. Insights from both sessions will shape the forthcoming “Pact for the Future of Regional Integration in ECOWAS,” set to be unveiled at the next Special Summit of Heads of State and Government.

By engaging a cross-section of society—from academics to activists—ECOWAS aims to craft a unified regional vision that reflects the hopes, challenges, and lived realities of its citizens. In Bissau, the atmosphere is charged with urgency and hope, as participants call for lasting solutions to5 instability and a reinvigorated push for West African solidarity.