{"id":14764,"date":"2025-12-16T11:50:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T10:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.prif.org\/?p=14764"},"modified":"2025-12-16T11:50:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T10:50:39","slug":"just-lay-peoples-views-learning-from-citizen-perspectives-for-people-centered-peace-and-security-governance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.prif.org\/en\/2025\/12\/16\/just-lay-peoples-views-learning-from-citizen-perspectives-for-people-centered-peace-and-security-governance\/","title":{"rendered":"Just Lay People\u2019s Views? Learning from citizen perspectives for people-centered peace and security governance"},"content":{"rendered":"

In line with the vision of an \u2018ECOWAS of the People\u2019, this Spotlight argues that ECOWAS must more actively integrate citizens\u2019 perspectives into its peace and security work. Findings from a five-year research project in Burkina Faso and The Gambia show deep distrust and disappointment among elites and everyday citizens over the organization\u2019s handling of political crises. Although some actions are appreciated and expectations are high, a wide gap persists between ECOWAS and West African citizens. The Spotlight demonstrates that citizens\u2019 views are both a measure of public support and a crucial guide for making ECOWAS more people-centered.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As it marks its 50th anniversary, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is confronting a profound crisis. Nowhere is this more evident than in its struggle to address the region\u2019s deteriorating democratic governance, highlighted by the seven coups d\u2019\u00e9tat that have taken place in West Africa since 2020. Tied to this is a growing popular backlash, both in the virtual and in the physical world, against an organization that is seen as unable or unwilling to address West Africans\u2019 most pressing security and economic needs.<\/p>\n

In a time of eroding multilateralism, growing geopolitical competition, and rising institutional distrust, regional cooperation for peace, security, and economic development, as stated in the 1993 Revised ECOWAS Treaty, is all the more important for West Africa.1<\/sup><\/a> Yet, recent years have shown that business as usual is no longer an option. The outgoing Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, Nigeria\u2019s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, therefore called the Golden Jubilee \u2018not just a celebration, but a moment of renewal\u2019.2 <\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Central to this aspiration of renewal is whether and how the organization can reconfigure its relationship with the 400 Mio. citizens in the region.<\/p>\n

In line with the aspiration toward an \u2018ECOWAS of the Peoples\u2019 and \u2018Peace and Prosperity for All\u2019 formulated in the ECOWAS Vision 2050,3<\/a><\/sup><\/a> this Spotlight argues that ECOWAS must more proactively engage with and integrate citizens\u2019 experiences and perspectives to advance its peace and security agenda. Based on findings from a five-year research project,4<\/a><\/sup> we argue that citizens\u2019 views are both a measure of public support and a crucial guide for making ECOWAS more people-centered. Concretely, the research project was carried out in two countries that experienced regional interventions in situations of political crisis: Burkina Faso (2014\/15) and The Gambia (2016\/17). Both have been widely considered successful cases of regional conflict management5<\/sup><\/a> and are exemplary of situations in which the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS followed the institutional script for breaches of the anti-coup norm (\u2018zero tolerance against unconstitutional changes of government\u2019). The organizations intervened by non-military means, and in the case of The Gambia with military means as well, thus decisively shaping how the respective crises were resolved (see Text Box 1 and 2). Using a qualitative, collaborative research approach (see Text Box 3), the research team examined how citizens in Burkina Faso and The Gambia experienced and evaluated the ECOWAS interventions, and what citizens know about and expect from ECOWAS.<\/p>\n

Text Box 1: AU and ECOWAS Intervention in Burkina Faso (2014\/15)<\/div>
After Burkina Faso\u2019s 2014 uprising ousted President Compaor\u00e9 for trying to extend his rule, the military took power. AU and ECOWAS condemned the coup, pushing for a civilian-led transition and elections under threat of sanctions. A second coup in 2015 triggered AU suspension, while ECOWAS mediated a return to civilian rule, offering amnesty for coup leaders. These backed down, and elections in November 2015 restored constitutional order.6<\/sup><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n
Text Box 2: AU and ECOWAS Intervention in The Gambia (2016-)<\/div>
In The Gambia, the AU and ECOWAS intervened after President Jammeh rejected his 2016 electoral defeat. Only mediation efforts, the threat of force, and a last-minute deal led Jammeh to concede. ECOWAS deployed ECOMIG as military mission to secure the transfer of power to President Barrow. ECOMIG continues to be deployed to support state security and reforms.8<\/a><\/sup><\/div><\/div>\n

Our findings point to profound distrust and disappointment among elites and everyday citizens concerning ECOWAS\u2019 management of political crises in member states. Despite notable appreciation of ECOWAS policies, citizens perceive ECOWAS to be partial, late to act, incoherent, and with hidden agendas, and they criticize ECOWAS for failing to prioritize preventive approaches. Beyond the recent societal backlash against ECOWAS after the latest coups in the three Sahelian states Burkina Faso (2022), Mali (2020\/21) and Niger (2023), and their exit from ECOWAS thereafter, there is a much more profound gap between ECOWAS and West African citizens. At the same time, our findings elucidate clear, and at times far-reaching, societal expectations directed toward the regional organization. This is generally good news for ECOWAS, and offers a valuable opportunity to learn from citizens\u2019 perspectives.<\/p>\n

\"Group
Moderator Amad\u00f3 Kabore with interlocutors of a focus group in Zogona, a neighborhood in Burkina Faso\u2019s capital Ouagadougou. | Photo: \u00a9 Adjara Konkobo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Key Findings<\/h2>\n

Overall, our research demonstrates that the ways in which regional interventions are experienced and assessed locally depends greatly on their context. Perceptions of regional interveners are shaped by earlier collective experiences and the immediate realities on the ground, with a clear difference between the perceptions of elites and those of \u2018everyday citizens\u2019.9<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0However, there are four overall findings we can draw from our research.<\/p>\n

1. Everyday Experiences Shape Citizens\u2019 Understanding of ECOWAS<\/h3>\n

Our focus groups and interviews reveal research participants\u2019 limited formal knowledge about ECOWAS structures and policies. This echoes findings from Afrobarometer surveys which show that a large number of West Africans do feel knowledgeable about ECOWAS.10<\/a><\/sup> However, our research also shows that apart from scholarly education, it is concrete everyday experiences \u2013 such as with the opportunities of free trade, the ECOWAS passport, or deployment in and of ECOWAS missions \u2013 that shape citizens\u2019 knowledge and perceptions of ECOWAS. Interventions are crucial moments for such experiences. How they unfold and how they are experienced therefore matters greatly for how citizens (get to) know ECOWAS.<\/p>\n

2. Local Critiques Reveal Perceptions of Bias and Delay<\/h3>\n

Even before the more recent wave of societal backlash experienced by ECOWAS in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, regional interventions were locally more contested than hitherto often assumed. They were criticized for being partial, for having hidden agendas, and for serving ECOWAS interests rather than those of the receiving societies. While these criticisms are all in line with the broader perception of the organization as \u2018Club of Heads of State\u2019, there is also strong critique of ECOWAS\u2019 failure to intervene in situations deemed critical: for coming too late, especially in situations where sitting presidents manipulated constitutions to prolong their stays in power, and for not following their own policy norms consistently, especially regarding the protection of democratic rights. Burkinab\u00e8 citizens, for instance, particularly those who were actively involved in mobilizing protests against President Blaise Compaor\u00e9\u2019s attempt to prolong his stay in power, criticized the regional organization for coming \u2018too late\u2019, describing the mediation as partisan and viewing the externally brokered transition as a \u2018stolen revolution\u2019 and an \u2018imposed\u2019 process that undermined the momentum of their popular revolution. In The Gambia, the strongest critique is put forward against the continued presence of ECOWAS forces, describing them as an \u2018occupying force\u2019, questioning the real intentions of the organization and Senegal \u2013 the main troop contributor \u2013behind the mission, and denouncing the insecurity created by ECOWAS troops, especially in Foni, Jammeh\u2019s former stronghold.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"Map
Map of ECOWAS member states. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrew their memberships in 2025. Case studies were conducted in Burkina Faso and The Gambia.<\/a> | Map source: https:\/\/d-maps.com\/carte.php?num_car=4339<\/a> (personal editing).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3.\u00a0 Everyday Citizens Value ECOWAS for Restoring Peace<\/h3>\n

However, alongside critique, our research also shows a so far neglected and notable appreciation of ECOWAS interventions, especially among more marginalized sectors of the societies, who welcome the restoration of \u2018peace\u2019 and \u2018normal life\u2019 as well as the prevention of (more) violence. In Burkina Faso, everyday citizens equated regional mediators with traditional peacemakers, calling them sougkoata <\/em>(\u2018those who beg pardon\u2019). This underlines the high cultural and normative value attributed to those sent by the regional organization. In The Gambia, too, everyday citizens experienced the intervention as the \u2018return of normalcy\u2019 after a period of uncertainty. With the resolution of the political crisis, tensions eased, markets reopened, and citizens felt safe to return to their homes.<\/p>\n

4. Despite Critique, Citizens Want More \u2013 Not Less \u2013 ECOWAS<\/h3>\n

Despite articulated criticism of and disappointment with a poor implementation record and inconsistent application of norms, citizens count on ECOWAS and articulate far-reaching expectations as well as a demand for a consistent application of existing policy instruments. In spite of this seeming contradiction, it is here, where focus group participants and interview partners wanted to see more<\/em>, and not less<\/em> ECOWAS, especially in the field of conflict prevention, infrastructures, and development. While there was much discussion of what needs to change, none of the research participants proposed closing down the organization.<\/p>\n

Text Box 3: How We Studied Local Perceptions<\/div>
The project used the methods of focus group discussions, interviews and media analysis. Between 2020 and 2022, 20 focus groups and over 150 interviews were conducted across urban and rural areas in Burkina Faso and The Gambia. This qualitative design captured the views of more than 350 people, including political, economic, and social elites, as well as everyday citizens including youth, market women, soldiers, and residents of marginalized areas.11<\/sup><\/a> <\/div><\/div>\n

Policy Implications: What to Learn from Local Perceptions?<\/h2>\n

These findings are both a source of hope and a potential burden for ECOWAS, because much will depend on whether the regional organization is able to become truly people-centered.\u00a0 During the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, observed that \u2018people, especially the youth, are impatient \u2013 and rightly so. We must listen to their frustrations and expectations if we are to remain relevant.\u201912<\/sup><\/a> Our findings provide insights into how people\u2019s perspectives can be constructively used to define concrete steps for ECOWAS\u2019 \u2018moment for renewal\u201913<\/sup><\/a>. First<\/strong>, to become people-centered, ECOWAS should systematically gather knowledge about citizens\u2019 views by continuously surveying and monitoring public opinion \u2013 not only during crises or interventions, but also in times of assumed normalcy. Second<\/strong>, in order to address the existing knowledge gap about ECOWAS among West African citizens, the organization needs to become more experienceable. ECOWAS country representations should be strengthened and provided with a budget to run projects and become a point of contact and interaction. Third<\/strong>, ECOWAS projects and outreach activities should aim beyond capital cities and take the diversity of lived realities of ECOWAS citizens into account. Fourth<\/strong>, proactive and continuous communication is key for managing expectations and preventing misinformation. For ECOWAS military interventions in particular, a clearly formulated and communicated mandate is required, including for tasks, goals, exit strategies, as well as updates on extensions and adjustments. Fifth<\/strong>, the inconsistent application of norms erodes citizens\u2019 trust in ECOWAS. ECOWAS should consistently apply its normative instruments to protect political and human rights and invest more in structural conflict prevention to foster regional stability.<\/p>\n

The Research Team<\/div>
Authors:<\/strong> Antonia Witt (PRIF), Sophia Birchinger (PRIF), Sait Matty Jaw (Center for Research and Policy Development, CRPD), Amado Kabor\u00e9 (Institut des Sciences des Soci\u00e9t\u00e9s, INSS)<\/p>\n

Further Research Team:<\/strong> Omar M Bah, Karamba Jallow, Pascaline Kabor\u00e9, Adjara Konkobo, Simone Schnabel<\/div><\/div>\n

\n

\"CoverDownload (pdf): Witt, Antonia; Birchinger, Sophia; Jaw, Sait Matty; Kabor\u00e9, Amado (2025): Just Lay People\u2019s Views? Learning from Citizen Perspectives For People-Centered Peace and Security Governance, PRIF Spotlight, 14\/2025, Frankfurt \/ M.<\/a>
\nTo the list of references.<\/a><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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The Spotlight demonstrates that citizens\u2019 views are both a measure of public support and a crucial guide for making ECOWAS more people-centered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":14745,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1125,1112],"tags":[1175,1199,1346,1264],"coauthors":[63,779,788,1474],"class_list":["post-14764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-en","category-prif-spotlight","tag-burkina-faso-en","tag-ecowas-en","tag-participation","tag-gambia-en"],"acf":[],"views":331,"yoast_head":"\nJust Lay People\u2019s Views? 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