The President of the Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, has alerted of the spread terrorism across West Africa, seeking collective efforts to tackle the scourge.
Dr Touray, who gave the warning, stressed that terrorism has spread beyond the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin to threaten all of West Africa, with early-warning data showing 450 attacks and more than 1,900 deaths in 2025.
The President spoke in New York, United States, during discussions at the United Nations Security Council on strengthening regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel, ECOWAS Directorate of Communication, said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to Dr. Touray, extremist groups are also waging “economic warfare” by restricting fuel and crippling trade.
In response, he highlighted that ECOWAS is accelerating deployment of its standby force, starting with 1,650 personnel and scaling up to 5,000 with regional and partner support.
He cautioned that fragmented efforts and mistrust hinder cooperation and urged the Council to help rebuild confidence, secure predictable financing and strengthen coordinated regional action.