ECOWAS Ministers Convene in Abuja, Urged to Take Decisive Action on Regional Stability

By Joylinda Laryea / 11 December 2025, 

 The 55th Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at Ministerial Level opened on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, at the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters in Abuja, bringing together regional leaders to assess West Africa’s evolving political and security challenges.

In his opening address, President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, underscored the urgency of taking bold and coordinated steps to safeguard the region’s stability. As ECOWAS marks its 50th anniversary, he said the moment demands clarity of purpose and strengthened commitment to the Community’s founding values.

Dr. Touray expressed deep concern over troubling trends emerging from recent country assessments. These include persistent military interventions in politics, diminishing electoral inclusivity, the expansion of terrorist networks, and mounting geopolitical pressures that threaten to undermine democratic governance and peacebuilding efforts.

He stressed that the region must invest more decisively in collective security frameworks and reinforce democratic institutions to counter these risks. “Our Community stands at a defining moment,” he said, urging ministers to craft strategies that will secure a safer, more resilient West Africa for the decades ahead.

Over the course of the session, MSC members are expected to deliberate on key security hotspots, review ongoing mediation efforts, and propose actionable measures to strengthen stability and cooperation across the region.