West Africa’s Coup Crisis Exposes ECOWAS’ Failure to Secure Democracy and Stability

West Africa is teetering on the edge of political collapse as a wave of military coups and attempted takeovers threaten the very fabric of its nations' sovereignty and democratic progress. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission president, Omar Touray, sounded a dire warning this week, declaring the region in a "state of emergency" due to escalating insecurity and weakening electoral legitimacy. This declaration is not merely rhetoric; it is an admission that years of weak governance and institutional failure have paved the way for a dangerous normalization of coups in West Africa. From Nigeria to Guinea-Bissau and...