Sub-Regional Organisations and the Challenges of Peace Building in West Africa: A Study of ECOWAS, 2015-2023

This study examined sub-regional organisations and the challenges of peace building in West Africa. The study raised two research questions: How has the ECOWAS contributed to peace building in the West African sub-region and What are the challenges militating against the effective role of the ECOWAS in peace building in West Africa? The study also raised two corresponding objectives which include: to examine ways the ECOWAS has contributed to peace building in the West African sub-region and to examine the challenges militating against the effective role of the ECOWAS in peace building in West Africa. This study adopted the integration theory as propounded by David Mitrany and also relied on secondary data to examine the role of the ECOWAS in peace building in West Africa. Thus, this study adopted secondary data which relied solely on relevant information that were sourced from journal articles, textbooks, archival documents, newspapers, news, magazines, ECOWAS treaties and protocols, etc. The study revealed that democracy and governance deficits, quest to protect the sovereignty of member states, language barriers, xenophobia, external interferences, as well as the current status of the Community Parliament as a mere consultative and advisory assembly are some of the factors inhibiting the achievement of peace and security in West Africa. The study thus recommended, among others, the institutionalization of ECOMOG as regular (permanent) military institution headquartered in one of the member countries but with branches in all other member states, severance of the long existing economic and defense ties between France and her former colonial enclaves in West Africa; according the Parliament full parliamentary powers to perform the tripartite functions of modern legislature in the sub-region and understanding the power of unity in diversity.