By Gloria Ikibah
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Timothy Kabba, has urged deeper commitment from member states to ensure democratic dividends is established in the sub-region.
Kabba state this in his remarks during his closing ceremony of the 55th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial level on Wednesday in Abuja. 
The appeal followed two days of intensive discussions on the political, democratic, and security challenges confronting the sub-region.
He noted that West Africa is not insulated from the ripple effects of shifting global power dynamics, especially as major international interests increasingly collide in a more complex and unpredictable world.
Kabba said, “This calls for all of us to look back into our governance system, to assess ourselves as a community, to assess ourselves as Member State and to ensure that we make every effort.
“We recommit ourselves to the tenet of democracy, to ensure we put our people at the fore of our political decisions, provide for our people, uphold the requirements of our constitution and respect the rule of law.
“Our community is challenged, but our leaders have demonstrated the resilience of our people and the resilience of our institutions.
“The incident of Dec. 7, 2025 over the attempt to subvert constitutional order in the Republic of Benin renewed ECOWAS’ commitment to zero-tolerance for unconstitutional takeover of government.
“We are still left with many challenges, but the leaders have committed themselves to ensure returns to constitutional order, that we make every effort to prevent the recurrence of coup d’état in our sovereignty.”
The Chairman acknowledged concerns that ECOWAS devotes much of its attention to political instability, noting that peace, security, and stability remain the foundation upon which any meaningful development can occur. This, he said, is why the bloc continues to prioritise safeguarding the community’s collective stability.
He commended the Council for its sustained commitment to fostering a region free of coups—one where security is guaranteed and economic growth can take root.
The Sierra Leone Foreign Minister, emphasised that deeper cooperation among ministers is essential, stressing that trust must underpin such collaboration, as no amount of effort or resources will yield results without it.
Reflecting on global realities, he noted that Africa remains on the margins of technological advancement at a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping the world, placing additional pressure on an already vulnerable region.
He pointed to persistent challenges such as poverty, disease, climate change, and climate-driven disruptions to farming—all of which continue to fuel insecurity across West Africa.
“Our community is one of the freest communities in the African continent, where I can travel from Freetown to Abuja on just an identity card.
“We must be proud of our forefathers who initiated this vision of having a community, where people work together and live together in peace,” he said.
