Security and peace challenges within the ECOWAS sub-region

The diversity of situations within ECOWAS has a strong influence on the challenges confronting peace and development. Among these challenges are:

• Elections which are often an opportunity for tension, excessive violence and they are the source of serious political crises;
• The difficulties to establish and consolidate democracy;
• The emergence of extremist ideological and social movements;
• Population growth and youth population (the youth below 20 years represent more than 50% of the population in West Africa)
• Lack of access to education, training and employment
• The mismatch between the provision of educational resources and the needs of populations. Strategies for peacekeeping, integration and management of issues of equity and equality do not receive adequate support.
• A high level of poverty among 50% of the population living below the poverty line and more than 60% on less than a dollar a day;
• The exponential growth of migration due to political and military crises
• Free movement of goods and services within the ECOWAS region was a fertile ground for the development of pandemics, but also human trafficking and smuggling
• The circulation of small arms and light weapons.
• The inefficiency of public policies
• Ethnic tensions
• Increase in drug trafficking
• The persistence of armed conflicts

For any action to address these challenges, it is imperative to conduct a situational analysis for the integration of the gender dimension.