From ECOWAS to the Alliance of Sahel States: Shifting Security Architectures in West Africa

Abstract

West Africa has undergone a significant reconfiguration of regional security governance following the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the subsequent establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS). The study examines the growing divergence between ECOWAS and ASS in terms of mandate, legitimacy, and operational effectiveness, and analyses the political, security, geopolitical, and socio-economic forces driving the shift. Drawing on an integrative framework combining Regional Security Complex Theory, Institutionalism, Realism, and Constructivism, the study shows how competing institutional logics and legitimacy narratives are reshaping patterns of authority in West Africa’s security architecture. Using documentary analysis, conflict event data, official statements, policies, and joint communiqués, the study finds that while ECOWAS retains formal legal authority and institutional capacity, ASS has cultivated domestic legitimacy and unity by prioritising sovereignty, regime security, and resistance to external influence. The dynamics highlight strains between democratic conditionality and non-interference, regional integration and state autonomy, and multilateral governance and regime survival. The study argues that the coexistence of parallel security institutions risks fragmenting collective responses to extremism, border insecurity, and humanitarian crises, while reflecting broader transformations in Africa’s regional order. The study concludes with policy recommendations for reconciling divergent governance norms, strengthening institutional resilience, and fostering adaptive and inclusive security governance frameworks capable of addressing the evolving threat environment of West Africa.