The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has expressed deep concern over recent military takeovers in some West African countries, warning that such actions have unintended consequences and threaten democratic values in the region.
General Musa made these remarks at the 42nd Ordinary Meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja on Wednesday.
General Musa emphasized that the threat of military coups must be eradicated, as they undermine the core values and responsibilities of the military profession.
“The threat of military takeover must be destroyed. It negates the core values and responsibilities of the military profession,” he stated.
He further stressed that in democratic countries, the military must uphold democratic values in line with the principles of their constitutions.
Also addressing the meeting, Minister of Defence Mohammed Abubakar and Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar challenged regional service chiefs to tackle terrorism through effective collaboration and combat the illicit movement of small arms and light weapons within the West African sub-region.
The meeting, held at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, focused on regional security, particularly as ECOWAS considers establishing a force to counter security challenges. Of the 15 defense chiefs expected at the meeting, those from Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Togo were absent.
At the previous meeting in August of last year, the defense chiefs had agreed on a comprehensive approach to addressing political, security, and diplomatic dimensions in the Niger Republic.
Since then, the military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have formed a mutual defense pact, separating from the wider Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc in January.
In July, the leaders of these three countries participated in the first summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), established after their withdrawal from ECOWAS.
Their exit from ECOWAS was partly driven by accusations that Paris was manipulating the bloc and not providing sufficient support for anti-jihadist efforts.
The ongoing instability and military coups in West Africa continue to pose significant challenges to regional security and democratic governance, prompting calls for renewed commitment to upholding democratic principles and enhancing regional cooperation.