Sovereignty and Intervention: Evaluating the Legality of ECOWAS Military Operations in West Africa

This paper evaluates the legal basis of military interventions conducted by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in member states, examining how such operations interact with the principle of state sovereignty under international law. The study focuses on ECOWAS interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, and more recent developments in the Sahel region. Using a doctrinal research approach supplemented by case analysis, the paper interrogates the tension between the ECOWAS Protocol on Mutual Assistance in Defence, the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine, and Article 2(7) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits interference in the domestic affairs of states. It further examines how ECOWAS legitimises military action in situations involving unconstitutional changes of government and humanitarian crises. The research finds that while ECOWAS has developed a robust normative framework for intervention, the application of these norms has been inconsistent and subject to political considerations among member states. The paper also highlights the increasing friction between ECOWAS decisions and the positions of newly assertive military governments in the region, raising questions about the future of collective security governance in West Africa. The study concludes by proposing clearer legal standards for authorising ECOWAS military action and recommends greater coordination with the African Union and the United Nations Security Council. Keywords: ECOWAS, sovereignty, military intervention, Responsibility to Protect, West Africa.