ECOWAS Struggles over Houses of Representatives Crisis as High-Level Mission Concludes Final Intervention

Monrovia, Liberia: As part of its ongoing mediation efforts to address Liberia’s ongoing legislative crisis, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) concluded its high-level mission to Liberia on Thursday, March 27, 2025. 

The mission’s final official report, released yesterday, emphasized the need for cooperation among Liberia's political stakeholders and called on them to respect the pending ruling of the Supreme Court. However, the report failed to provide any substantive measures to enforce these calls, further showcasing ECOWAS’s limited power in addressing Liberia’s political dysfunction.

The intervention, led by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General, was aimed at resolving the deadlock in Liberia’s House of Representatives, which has been without a functioning Speaker for several months. However, the outcome of the mission raised serious concerns over ECOWAS’s ability to effect tangible change.

The just concluded mission marks the second return of ECOWAS in a series of failed interventions that have failed to resolve the issues within the Liberian legislature. While ECOWAS's mediatory role seems essential in post-conflict Liberia, its inability to push through a lasting resolution to the political deadlock in the House of Representatives suggests deeper institutional flaws within ECOWAS itself and highlights the growing disillusionment among the Liberian public about the regional bloc’s role in the country’s governance.

Adopted in 2001, the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance supplements the earlier protocol relating to the mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping, and security. This supplementary protocol establishes constitutional convergence principles aimed at promoting democracy, the rule of law, and good governance among member states.

Article 1 of the protocol emphasizes the adherence to democratic principles and constitutional order: 

"The following shall be declared as constitutional principles shared by all Member States: a) separation of powers—the executive, legislative, and judiciary; empowerment and strengthening of parliaments; and guarantee of parliamentary immunity."

Furthermore, Article 32 of the ECOWAS Principles underscores the importance of good governance and press freedom:

"Member States agree that good governance and press freedom are essential for preserving social justice, preventing conflict, guaranteeing political stability and peace, and strengthening democracy." 

The role of ECOWAS in Liberia’s political landscape is rooted in the post-civil war period, when the organization intervened militarily through the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) to restore order and end the civil war in the 1990s. After the war, ECOWAS continued to serve as a peacekeeping force and later as a mediator as Liberia transitioned into a fragile democracy. However, despite its historical role in Liberia’s stabilization, the regional body’s repeated interventions have lacked the necessary legal and institutional mechanisms to enforce substantial political reforms.

ECOWAS’s track record of mediating Liberia's political crises is a tale of continuous failure. In 2023, ECOWAS brokered a similar dialogue aimed at resolving another leadership impasse within the Liberian legislature. Despite high-profile visits and meetings, the political gridlock persisted. This situation is not dissimilar to the ongoing deadlock in the House of Representatives.

In 2024, ECOWAS’s calls for dialogue intensified as the political crisis escalated. The ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, during its ministerial session in Abuja, Nigeria, acknowledged the dire situation in Liberia, where political disputes were severely affecting governance. Despite these concerns, no tangible measures were proposed to address the underlying issues. 

ECOWAS’s diplomatic efforts are once again deemed toothless as Liberian political leaders continued to ignore calls for peace and cooperation, resulting in the continuation of the crisis.

The high-level mission that concluded on March 27, 2025, involved the participation of key ECOWAS representatives, including Professor Ibrahim Gambari, who has served in various UN positions. The mission’s goal was to mediate between key political players in Liberia, including President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, former presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Manneh Weah, and the leadership of the House of Representatives. However, the intervention yielded no concrete solutions to the impasse.

The calls for respect for the Supreme Court’s ruling, for instance, appear to be more of a diplomatic gesture than a practical legal solution. While the Court is the ultimate arbiter of legal disputes in Liberia, the political context in which this case is being decided makes it known that any ruling, regardless of its substance, may not be respected by entrenched political figures who have repeatedly demonstrated a disregard for judicial authority.

The 1986 Constitution of Liberia vests ultimate judicial authority in the Supreme Court, mandating it as the final arbiter of constitutional disputes. Article 66 solidifies its jurisdiction over all legal matters, emphasizing that no political deadlock or external intervention can override its rulings.

ECOWAS’s failure to address Liberia’s political crisis brings into question the legal framework under which the regional body operates. Under the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (2001), member states are required to ensure peaceful political processes, including the proper functioning of legislative bodies. This protocol also mandates the bloc to intervene in cases of political crises, providing a legal basis for ECOWAS’s role in Liberia. However, the inability of ECOWAS to enforce any of its decisions has exposed the limitations of this legal framework.

The lack of enforcement mechanisms within ECOWAS’s mandate weakens its ability to hold member states accountable. While the protocol allows for diplomatic intervention, it does not provide for punitive measures to ensure compliance. This legal blank gap has been evident in Liberia, where political elites have ignored ECOWAS’s calls for dialogue, and the organization has not implemented any sanctions or coercive measures to compel compliance. 

The failure of ECOWAS to use its political and legal tools effectively undermines its credibility and raises concerns about the future of the region’s legal and diplomatic architecture.

This has been compounded by the fact that Liberia’s leadership crisis is rooted in deeper structural issues that ECOWAS has failed to address. The lack of institutional reforms in Liberia’s political system, including the electoral process, the functioning of the legislature, and the independence of the judiciary, means that the root causes of the crisis remain unaddressed. Without addressing these deeper issues, external interventions such as ECOWAS’s missions are likely to remain ineffective.

The direct impact of the ongoing political paralysis on Liberia’s economy cannot be overstated. With no functioning legislature, the passage of crucial bills, including the national budget, has been delayed. The political gridlock has led to a lack of funding for key public services, with the education and healthcare sectors particularly hard-hit. Government employees have faced delays in receiving their salaries, exacerbating public dissatisfaction and undermining the functioning of the state.

Moreover, the political crisis has deterred international investment, further hampering Liberia’s economic recovery. Investors and international businesses are hesitant to engage with a country where political instability threatens the long-term viability of investments. Liberia’s reputation as an investment destination has been severely damaged, and this has profound implications for the country’s prospects for growth and development.

The social impact of the political paralysis is equally alarming. The frustration among ordinary Liberians is palpable. While political leaders engage in infighting, the Liberian people continue to face daily hardships, including inadequate infrastructure, poor access to education and healthcare, and a general lack of economic opportunity.

The disconnect between Liberia’s political elite and the population is widening, as the latter sees little hope for change or improvement in their lives.

ECOWAS’s latest mission to Liberia has once again underscored the limitations of its role in resolving political crises. The lack of meaningful enforcement mechanisms, combined with the entrenched political interests in Liberia, means that ECOWAS’s interventions are unlikely to bring about any real change in the country’s political landscape. While Liberia’s political elite continues to disregard calls for cooperation and reform, the economic and social consequences of the ongoing crisis will only deepen