ECOWAS Army Chiefs move to curb threats to region...

Military chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) approved the establishment of a 1,650-member regional military force in Freetown on Tuesday February 24, 2026 against terrorism and protect constitutional order across West Africa.

This followed increased extremist violence and threats of militant coups faced by the region.

Footage showed regional military chiefs gathered for a security meeting hosted by Sierra Leone's Chief of Defence Staff, General Amara Idara Bangura, where officials discussed the next stages of the regional security framework.

“[We] agreed on the setting up of a 5,000-personnel force with a start-up of 1,650 personnel brigades that could be incrementally scaled up within a specified time frame,” said ECOWAS commissioner Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah.

ECOWAS commissioner Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah said that the committee took a clear stand on Guinea-Bissau.

HE warned that unconstitutional changes of government undermine the region’s core values.

"Insecurity in Guinea-Bissau or elsewhere, and the unconstitutional assumption of power in that country, goes counter to the values and the aspirations of the region. And I think the Chiefs of Defence Staff have a responsibility to engage their counterparts in Guinea-Bissau to make sure constitutional order is restored as quickly as possible," he stated.

General Bangura described the meeting as both urgent and significant in light of 'impending regional challenges', emphasising that it would address critical issues related to logistics, equipment, and military operations.

The meeting, which included regional defence chiefs and delegations from Ghana and Liberia, focused on the activation of the ECOWAS Force and established logistical frameworks necessary for rapid deployment.

This move came as regional countries filled the security vacuum left by departing international forces in the Sahel.