EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG)

Over the past decade, West Africa has experienced severe political instability, manifested in conflict, political violence, protests and social unrest. This instability is also marked with violent extremism in the Sahel region, and there is now a growing movement by these violent extremist groups to extend their reach towards coastal West Africa.

The EU supports ECOWAS initiatives to consolidate democratic processes and facilitate the transition towards democracy and sustainable peace through high-level political diplomacy and mediation.

As a primary African-led organisation with a mandate to convene West African states to address peace and security issues in the region, ECOWAS's role as a regional platform is pivotal. Despite challenges to its mandate in Central Sahel, the organisation maintains a strong political mandate and proven expertise in conflict prevention, management, and peace mediation.

This project represents the third phase of the EU’s support to ECOWAS in the domain of peace and security. With a total budget of €24m (€2.25m for Expertise France), it is designed to strengthen ECOWAS' capabilities to act at regional and national levels throughout the entire conflict cycle, from conflict prevention through management, mediation and conflict resolution.

It will have a primary focus on four key areas:

1. Strenghtening conflict prevention, crisis management and peace mediation in the ECOWAS region, based on ECOWAS’ early warning and response mechanisms.
2. Increasing ECOWAS’ contribution to a secure, democratic and human rights-based environment with a focus on member states in a post-conflict or democratic transition.
3. Enhancing electoral systems across ECOWAS member states to safeguard against election-related violence and promote democratic stability.
4. Implementing the peace and security agendas for women and youth with improved coherence and effectiveness, both institutionally within ECOWAS and across targeted member states.

EPSG will cover all ECOWAS Member States, with a special attention on countries in transition but also northern regions of coastal countries (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Ghana) affected by the spill-over effect of security crises in the Sahel.

Expertise France intervenes more specifically at the ECOWAS member states level, in Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria. Its actions target the following results:

• Strenghtening the capacities of the "national coordination centres for response mechanisms" (NCCRM) and peace infrastructures to effectively implement early warning and response measures – Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire.
• Improving security sector reform processes in a manner that respects the rule of law, human security and accountability – Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire.
• Increasing the role of parliamentary committees, human rights institutions, civil society and media actors in the democratic control over the security sector – Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire.
• Implementing the African Union agenda for youth, peace and security – Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria.