In a significant move to stabilize the West African subregion, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced the deployment of an initial 1,650 personnel as part of its standby force.
This decision comes as extremist violence, once localized to the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, rapidly expands toward coastal states. Dr. Alieu Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, unveiled the plan during a high-level briefing at the United Nations Security Council in New York, where he highlighted the urgent need for a unified military response.
Dr. Touray provided a sobering look at the deteriorating security landscape in 2025:
- 450 terrorist attacks recorded in the region within the year.
- Nearly 2,000 deaths directly linked to extremist violence.
- Expansion of Threats: Militant groups have shifted from traditional hotspots to targeting wider trade corridors and critical infrastructure.
The Commission President warned that insurgents are now employing “economic warfare” by sabotaging fuel supplies and destabilizing local economies to undermine state authority.
To counter this, ECOWAS plans to eventually scale its standby force from the initial 1,650 troops to a total of 5,000 personnel, depending on contributions from member states and international funding.
Despite the military mobilization, Dr. Touray identified several critical barriers to effective regional defense:
- Fragmented Responses: Individual nations often act in isolation rather than in a coordinated bloc.
- Mistrust: Diplomatic tensions between neighboring states hinder joint operations.
- Intelligence Gaps: Weak frameworks for sharing high-level data on militant movements.
Dr. Touray concluded by urging the UN Security Council to provide sustainable funding and help bridge the trust gap between member states, emphasizing that military force alone cannot succeed without political unity.
