Editor's Note: This is the second installment of a two-part column on the future of Franco-African relations. The first part discusses the reasons driving France's changing approach to Africa, while the second focuses on how these shifts could affect West and Central Africa's geopolitical landscape in the years ahead. As France steps back from West and Central Africa, regional actors are expected to play a greater role in shaping the future of both regions' politics. However, no single country or organization appears ready to step up and assume regional leadership. The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, has faced a marked erosion of its credibility since the start of the 2020s, as it has repeatedly failed to respond to a wave of military and constitutional coups across the region.