Which Way West Africa? The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its Efforts of Peacekeeping in the Region: Lessons from the Past and Prospects for the Future.

This essay examines ECOWAS and its role in regional integration and peacekeeping in West Africa. It traces the history of African regional integration, from early initiatives like SACU (1910) and the East African Community (1919) to the establishment of ECOWAS in 1975. The study explores ECOWAS’s rationale, interventions in Mali, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire, and evaluates the effectiveness of its peacekeeping measures. It also analyzes challenges and prospects for achieving peace and stability in the region, offering insights into the way forward for West African regional security.