For more than a decade, countries in the West African sub-region had experienced various forms of security challenges ranging from terror attacks by extremists, communal clashes, farmer/herder clashes, and kidnapping, among others.
Boko Haram with its many factions carried out numerous attacks in Nigeria’s North East, and the other countries in the Lake Chad Basin region (Cameroon, Niger, and Chad), which is considered the worst hit.
The same was the case in Mali, where the Al-Mourabiton and Al-Qaeda Islamic sect continued to carry out countless attacks in the Northern part of the country, killing thousands and destroying public infrastructure, especially schools.
These activities further led to the destruction of communities, massive displacement of people, the creation of a refugee situation, and a dire humanitarian crisis in affected member states.
In a bid to ensure lasting peace and stability in the sub-region, the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments at its 56th Ordinary Session in Abuja on Dec. 21, called for urgent multilateral efforts toward tackling insecurity in the area.
Mr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, President of the ECOWAS Commission said that between February and December 2019, terrorist attacks increased by nearly 80 per cent.
Brou added that the attacks caused more than 1,800 civilian and military casualties.
He said that the situation led to a humanitarian crisis with the displacement of nearly 2.8 million people and the closure of hundreds of schools across affected member states.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, who also spoke at the event, stressed the need for security partnerships among member countries as a means of combating acts of terror.
Buhari said that collaborative military efforts were imperative as terrorism had become a major threat to the peace and progress of the sub-region.
He restated Nigeria’s commitment to not only combating terrorism in the sub-region but the integration of the African region.
President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic who was the Chair of the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments also charged member states to take a decisive approach to tackle terrorism in the sub-region.
Issoufou said that the West African sub-region had been hard hit by terrorist attacks, which have intensified and have threatened much national and regional progress already recorded by member countries.
He said that it had, therefore, become very important for member states to respond to the recurring attacks with firmness and determination.
He emphasised that the recurring terrorist attacks only served to continually test the commitments of member states to fighting extremism in the sub-region.
“The creation of a common area of peace, security, and economic integration is without the slightest doubt the key to the future of our region.
“Current regional and global developments in security, constrain me to dwell on the security situation in our region.
“Our region has been hard hit by terrorist attacks every passing day, threatening the national and regional achievements we have made,” Issoufou said.
At the end of the session, the heads of states and governments came up with recommendations and adopted a 2.3 billion dollars 2020 to 2024 Action Plan aimed at eradicating terrorism in the sub-region.
The heads of states and government also agreed that part of the funds would be used for the provision of equipment to support the defense forces of member states, training of relevant bodies, and effective intelligence-sharing.
The authority directed the President of the ECOWAS Commission to immediately set up an inclusive and transparent mechanism to manage funds mobilised for the implementation of the action plan.
The group further instructed the President of the ECOWAS Commission to ensure speedy disbursement of the resources mobilised in order to respond urgently to the situation.
According to the heads of states and governments, the authority would from 2020-2021, focus attention on efforts directed at the effective implementation of activities expected to quickly contribute to checking the increase and spread of terror attacks.
The group called on international partners to provide substantial support for the implementation of the action plan, instructing the President of the ECOWAS Commission to organise as soon as possible, a donor conference to mobilise funds, in addition to the internal sources identified by the authority.
They also urged the building of strong partnerships with all stakeholders in counter-terrorism in the sub-region.
According to them, such partnerships should be built on complementary initiatives to avoid duplication of efforts.
The United Nations (UN) is also not leaving the region to tackle the security challenges before it alone as it pledged to complement the efforts of ECOWAS toward addressing the menace.
Mr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) said that effective defeat and eradication of terrorism in the sub-region required addressing the root causes.
Insecurity and terrorism, in particular, has without doubt been in the way of peace and stability of the sub-region, while the radicalisation of the youth, who are the future generation has become a major source of concern.
Analysts believe that the collective stance of the West African leaders is a bold step toward a multilateral approach to tackling insecurity, and ensuring sustainable peace and stability in the sub-region, an approach being promoted by the UN.
They are of the opinion that all the relevant parties in the approach should not relent in playing their roles toward the success of the campaign against insecurity and instability in the West African sub-region.
