ECOWAS: Institutional Development and Military Interventions (1975–present)

1. ECOWAS established by Treaty of Lagos

   May 28, 1975Labels: Treaty of, ECOWAS

   • Britannica
   • ECOWAS Treaty
   • ECOTIS

2. Protocol on Non-Aggression signed in Lagos

   Apr 22, 1978Labels: Protocol on, Lagos

   • Brill AYIL
   • Defence Protocol

3. Free movement protocol adopted

   Jun 15, 1979Labels: Free Movement, ECOWAS

   • AfricanLII

4. Mutual Assistance on Defence protocol signed

   May 29, 1981Labels: Mutual Defence, Heads of

   • AfricanLII
   • Brill AYIL

5. ECOMOG created to intervene in Liberia

   Aug 7, 1990Labels: ECOMOG, Banjul

   • UN UNOMIL
   • ECOMOG

6. Revised ECOWAS Treaty signed in Cotonou

   Jul 24, 1993Labels: Revised Treaty, Cotonou

   • AfricanLII
   • ECOWAS Treaty

7. Protocol establishing ECOWAS Community Parliament signed

   Aug 6, 1994Labels: Community Parliament, Abuja

   • AfricanLII
   • ECOWAS Parliament

8. ECOMOG restores elected government in Sierra Leone

   Feb 6, 1998Labels: ECOMOG, Sierra Leone

   • UN Press
   • Siege Freetown

9. Conflict-prevention and peacekeeping “Mechanism” protocol signed

   Dec 10, 1999Labels: Peacekeeping Mechanism, Lom Protocol

   • GhaLII
   • Brill PDF

10. Democracy and Good Governance supplementary protocol signed

    Dec 21, 2001Labels: Democracy Protocol, Dakar

    • GhaLII

11. Initial ECOMICI contingent arrives in Côte d’Ivoire

    Jan 18, 2003Labels: ECOMICI, C te

    • Ivorian War
    • UNSC 1479

12. ECOWAS Secretariat transformed into ECOWAS Commission

    Jan 1, 2007Labels: ECOWAS Commission, Secretariat

    • ECOWAS Commission
    • About Commission

13. UN authorizes ECOWAS-organized AFISMA for Mali

    Dec 20, 2012Labels: AFISMA, UN Security

    • UNSC 2085
    • AFISMA

14. ECOWAS intervenes militarily in The Gambia

    Jan 19, 2017Labels: Gambia intervention, Restore Democracy

    • UNSC 2337
    • Gambia Intervention

15. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger withdraw from ECOWAS

    Jan 29, 2025Labels: Withdrawal, Burkina Faso

    • ECOWAS Treaty