ECOWAS says it is taking urgent steps to confront the rising wave of extremist violence across West Africa, beginning with the deployment of an initial 1,650 personnel under its standby force.
The announcement was made by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Alieu Omar Touray, during a high-level briefing at the United Nations Security Council in New York. He said the move forms part of a broader effort to reinforce regional security as terrorist activity spreads beyond its traditional strongholds.
Dr. Touray revealed that early-warning systems across the region have recorded 450 terrorist attacks and close to 2,000 deaths in 2025, a figure he described as a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation. He noted that violent groups that were once confined to the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin are now operating across much of West Africa, posing a direct threat to stability.
He also cautioned that extremist organisations are adopting what he termed “economic warfare,” deliberately targeting key infrastructure, disrupting trade routes, limiting fuel supplies, and destabilising local markets to weaken state authority and tighten their grip on communities.
“To confront the escalating violence, ECOWAS is fast-tracking the deployment of its standby force, starting with 1,650 troops, with plans to scale up to 5,000 personnel through additional contributions from member states and support from international partners,” he said.
Despite these steps, Dr. Touray admitted that several obstacles persist. He pointed to fragmented national responses, strained relations between neighbouring states, weak intelligence-sharing systems, and insufficient operational coordination as major barriers to an effective regional response.
He urged the UN Security Council to back efforts aimed at rebuilding trust among member states, securing sustainable funding, and strengthening cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Dr. Touray added that the success of ECOWAS’ counterterrorism push will depend on stronger political commitment and deeper international partnerships to prevent further deterioration of security across the subregion.
