The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has taken one of its firmest security positions in recent years after an attempted coup in Benin, ordering elements of its standby force to be placed on high alert and initiating consultations with Cotonou for immediate reinforcement.
The regional bloc, long criticised for wavering resolve amid successive military takeovers, declared full support for Benin’s constitutional order and warned that any threat to democratic governance in a coastal state would provoke a “decisive response.”
According to an ECOWAS statement, the decision was reached “after consultation among members of the Mediation and Security Council at the level of Heads of State and Government.” It added that the Chair of ECOWAS Authority had ordered the deployment of standby force elements from Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone to Benin “with immediate effect.”
The unusually firm tone marks a sharp shift from the hesitancy that has defined ECOWAS’s handling of coups since 2020, when military juntas toppled governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Diplomats from Abuja and Accra said the bloc’s rapid mobilisation reflected a growing recognition that instability is now threatening coastal democracies once viewed as the region’s last democratic strongholds.
The latest response follows a failed coup attempt on Sunday, December 7, 2025, when a small group of soldiers stormed Benin’s state broadcaster and announced the dissolution of the government under a self-styled “Military Committee for Refoundation.” The faction, led by Lt.-Col. Pascal Tigri, accused the government of neglecting fallen soldiers in the country’s conflict-prone northern districts.
Loyalist troops quickly retook control of the broadcaster, arrested the plotters, and neutralised the uprising without extended confrontation. President Patrice Talon appeared in full command by midday, assuring citizens that the situation was under control.
Though the mutiny failed, it sent shockwaves through the region. Benin, long regarded as one of West Africa’s most stable coastal democracies, had resisted the coup contagion that destabilised the Sahel. For ECOWAS, weakened by the withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, the episode underscored how instability is edging closer to the Gulf of Guinea.
A sharper ECOWAS line after years of drift
ECOWAS’s swift reaction signals a rediscovery of its security mission after years of paralysis. Following the attempted coup, the bloc activated elements of its early-warning system, stepped up intelligence-sharing among members, and began discussions on strengthening Benin’s border security.
While far from the full-scale interventions of the 1990s in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, these actions mark renewed intent. ECOWAS has struggled in recent years with inconsistent sanctions, policy drift, and a perceived inability to deter or reverse coups. The Benin crisis appears to have jolted the bloc into reasserting itself.
Analysts note that this rediscovery is more than bureaucratic, it’s existential. With three member states under juntas and estranged from the bloc, ECOWAS faces an uphill task of defending democratic norms in a region where military rule has gained new appeal among frustrated populations.
Benin as a test case for pre-emptive security
By moving decisively in support of Talon, ECOWAS appears to be testing a preventive model, fortifying coastal democracies before mutiny and insurgency combine as they did in the Sahel. Ongoing discussions between Cotonou and ECOWAS reportedly involve integrated border monitoring, military professionalisation, and an audit of security operations in the north.
Nigeria and Ghana have already confirmed readiness to assist. Nigeria’s presidential adviser on information, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that President Tinubu authorised Nigerian Air Force jets to enter Benin’s airspace to help neutralise the plotters.
If successful, Benin could become a model for ECOWAS’s new approach, early intervention, political reinforcement, and pre-emptive stabilisation. Failure, however, could deepen scepticism about the bloc’s ability to project credible power.
Underlying fragilities remain
Beneath the renewed assertiveness lie structural issues that no military response can solve: overstretched security forces, porous borders, weak governance, and growing economic despair. The grievances aired by Benin’s mutineers echo those voiced in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, poor conditions for soldiers and unbalanced state support for conflict zones.
ECOWAS’s harder line may buy time, but it cannot substitute for political renewal and citizen engagement. Civil society groups have warned that focusing on coups while overlooking democratic backsliding risks alienating the very populations the bloc seeks to protect.
Public sentiment remains divided. Many Beninese citizens welcomed the swift defeat of the coup, but growing frustration over political exclusion and insecurity persists. For ECOWAS, maintaining legitimacy will depend on addressing these underlying grievances alongside its revived security agenda.
