- Terrorism Now an Existential Threat to West Africa – ECOWAS Tells UN
- Regional leaders push coordinated action as extremist attacks spread toward coastal nations.
- ECOWAS accelerates deployment of standby force to counter growing security threats.
The President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, Omar Touray, has warned that terrorism across West Africa and the Sahel has intensified to a level that now poses an “existential threat” to the region.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Touray delivered the warning while briefing the United Nations Security Council during its 10,047th meeting on regional counterterrorism efforts. According to a statement issued by ECOWAS on Friday, he told the Council that terrorist groups are increasingly targeting essential economic systems, disrupting fuel supply chains, trade routes and critical infrastructure across several member states.
“This wave of attacks is no longer confined to physical violence alone. It is now targeted at the economic lifelines of our region,” he said.
Touray explained that ECOWAS is implementing a series of stabilisation measures, including programmes aimed at repairing relations with former member states Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, following their withdrawal from the bloc after successive military coups. He also emphasised efforts to address socio-economic conditions that drive violent extremism.
The statement added, “Touray outlined ECOWAS’ kinetic and non-kinetic measures, including the accelerated operationalisation of the ECOWAS Standby Force.”
He reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to collaborating with the UN, African Union and other partners to strengthen regional security.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also addressed the Council, raising concern over the worsening security and humanitarian conditions in the Sahel. He stressed the urgency of coordinated regional and international action to contain the expansion of extremist groups.
Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, who chaired the meeting as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, described terrorism as a global challenge that demands “renewed cooperation and collective resolve.”
Extremist attacks have expanded significantly over the past decade, beginning in northern Mali before spreading to Burkina Faso and Niger, and later pushing toward coastal countries such as Benin, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. The situation worsened further after a series of coups weakened regional coordination and opened security gaps.
The exit of key international missions, including France’s Operation Barkhane and the UN’s MINUSMA, eliminated major support structures at a time when terror networks were expanding.
In response, ECOWAS is fast-tracking the deployment of a regional standby counterterrorism force. The mission will initially comprise 1,650 personnel and later grow to 5,000 as additional resources become available.
Touray said the deployment represents a crucial step to “restore stability and protect millions of lives” threatened by escalating terrorist violence across the region.
