The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has issued a resounding call for enhanced regional cooperation against violent extremism, a move directly spurred by a series of devastating coordinated terrorist attacks that recently rocked military installations and civilian areas in Mali. The regional legislative body, concluding its First Ordinary Session in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, underscored the urgent need for a unified approach to confront the persistent threat that continues to destabilize West Africa.
These recent attacks in Mali have plunged the nation into a severe humanitarian crisis, with armed extremists imposing blockades on critical city roads and brutally assaulting anyone who resists. The assaults, attributed to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate operating in the Sahel, and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a prominent Tuareg-dominated rebel alliance, claimed the life of Mali’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara. Additionally, numerous soldiers and members of paramilitary forces were reportedly abducted by the assailants, highlighting the escalating audacity and brutality of these groups.
Across the Sahel and the wider Lake Chad region, at least eight nations are currently grappling with either active terrorist attacks, significant cross-border insurgent threats, or sustained violent extremist infiltration. A significant number of these affected countries, including Nigeria, are member states of ECOWAS, underscoring the broad regional implications of the ongoing security challenges.
In response, the regional parliament, during its Abuja session on Sunday, adopted a critical resolution urging member states to significantly deepen intelligence sharing, fortify border security coordination, and strengthen joint military operations. Notably, the resolution also extends this call for collaboration to “breakaway countries,” signaling a strategic effort to mend fragmented counter-terrorism efforts within the sub-region. The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Memounatou Ibrahima, has been mandated to promptly forward this resolution to the ECOWAS Commission for diligent implementation.
According to reports by Daily Trust, the resolution aligns squarely with the “relevant provisions of the Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security.” Furthermore, the parliament affirmed its mindfulness of “Articles 6 and 13 of the Revised Treaty relating to ECOWAS institutions and the Community Parliament’s establishment,” as well as the “Declaration of Political Principles by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, adopted in July 1991 in Abuja,” lending robust institutional backing to its stance.
Speaking to journalists after the session, Dominic Napara, representing Ghana, emphasized the dire consequences that security threats in the Sahel pose for neighbouring countries, including Nigeria and Ghana. “Whatever happens in those countries affects all of us,” Mr. Napara stated, underscoring that “terrorism is a common enemy, and we must work together to confront it.” He further revealed that northern Ghana is currently contending with what appears to be an infiltration of JNIM terrorists from Burkina Faso, illustrating the cross-border nature of the threat.
His Gambian counterpart, Amodu Camera, echoed these sentiments, describing the Sahel crisis as one of the most pressing challenges confronting ECOWAS. Mr. Camera informed reporters that the Parliament’s Committee on Political Affairs had conducted a thorough review of the security landscape, subsequently submitting its comprehensive recommendations to both the ECOWAS Commission and the Council of Ministers for necessary action. He clarified that while the ECOWAS Parliament performs vital advisory and oversight functions, the ultimate responsibility for implementing its resolutions rests with the ECOWAS Commission, the Council of Ministers, and the individual member states.
The region’s security concerns have been significantly compounded by the diplomatic rift that emerged following the withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from ECOWAS. This unprecedented secession occurred after a series of military coups in these three Sahelian nations. Analysts have consistently warned that this breakdown in relations between ECOWAS and the junta-led governments has severely hampered regional counter-terrorism coordination, particularly impacting the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
The MNJTF, headquartered in N’Djamena, Chad, was initially established to combat the activities of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) within the Lake Chad Basin. Restructured in 2015 under African Union authorization, the force historically included Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Benin. However, following the coup in Niger and the subsequent sanctions imposed by ECOWAS, the francophone nation withdrew from the MNJTF. This move has been widely regarded as a significant setback for regional counter-terrorism operations, not only around the Lake Chad region but also across the wider Sahel.
Despite this challenge, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Benin are believed to remain active participants in the MNJTF, continuing their crucial cross-border operations against insurgent groups. Yet, experts maintain that Niger’s disengagement has created undeniable operational gaps along critical border corridors, particularly in areas adjacent to Nigeria’s North-eastern region, a primary battleground for insurgency.
ECOWAS officials have repeatedly cautioned that the withdrawal of these three Sahel states risks severely undermining long-standing security cooperation mechanisms and weakening coordinated responses to terrorism and transnational organized crime across the region. Over the years, the bloc has developed a robust array of collective security mechanisms, responding effectively to civil wars, coups, and the escalating threat of jihadist violence. This includes the establishment of the ECOWAS Standby Force for rapid military response and its comprehensive Political Affairs, Peace and Security architecture, which orchestrates policies on conflict prevention, intelligence sharing, and counter-terrorism cooperation. Beyond supporting operations like the MNJTF, ECOWAS has historically deployed military interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, solidifying its pivotal role as a regional security actor, far beyond its initial mandate as merely an economic union.
Originally sourced from Premium Times. This article has been rewritten for our readers.
About the Author
