The heads of state of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting on Sunday for an ordinary summit in Abuja, the agenda of which is dominated by the coup in Guinea-Bissau in November and another aborted one in Benin a week ago.

The regional bloc had already been shaken by a series of coups between 2020 and 2023 in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger, countries still ruled by military juntas.

"The events of recent weeks have shown concretely what regional solidarity means," said Omar Alieu Touray, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, at the opening ceremony of the summit in Abuja.

This regional meeting, held in a conference room on the green and highly secure campus surrounding the Nigerian presidential villa of Aso Rock, was planned before the coup in Guinea-Bissau and the foiled military takeover attempt in Benin, but these events emerged as major topics on the agenda.

According to the program, the presidents will discuss a recent ECOWAS mission to Guinea-Bissau and "the situation in the Republic of Benin".

Trade liberalisation policies, as well as an "update on the transition process" in Guinea, are also on the agenda.

Security in the Sahel is a priority for ECOWAS, as jihadist groups are carrying out insurgencies in several West African countries.

Led by military leaders, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left ECOWAS and formed their own organization, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Last week, Mr. Touray called for negotiations with the AES on common security issues, as the conflict continues to spread south.

"No border can protect us from violence," said Sierra Leonean President Julius Bio on Sunday, who currently holds the rotating chairmanship of ECOWAS.

The heads of state of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, suspended after their military takeovers, are not present at the summit.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is also not attending; he is represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

In addition to military coups, democratic backsliding is also weighing on civilian governments in West Africa.