Coups and ECOWAS Sanctions: Implications for Cohesion and Integration in West Africa.

The article focuses on the implications of military coups and subsequent sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on regional cohesion and integration in West Africa. It finds that while ECOWAS sanctions aim to deter unconstitutional changes of government and restore democracy, they have largely been ineffective in achieving political concessions and have instead disrupted economic integration, security cooperation, and political unity within the region. The sanctions have negatively impacted trade, food security, and cross-border movement, exacerbating hardships for citizens in both sanctioned and sanctioning states, and have contributed to the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS. Using game theory as an analytical framework, the study highlights the strategic complexities and inconsistent enforcement of sanctions, suggesting the need for alternative approaches to address military coups without undermining regional integration.