As the rate of insecurity continues in the West African sub-region, the chiefs of defence staff of member-states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting on a two-day meeting in Accra, Ghana to address security issues.
The summit which began on Thursday is aimed at strengthening military cooperation in the region plagued by growing insecurity.
Issaafrica reported that violent extremism is escalating in West Africa’s coastal states. This is terrifying for citizens but is just the tip of the insurgency iceberg. Under the surface lies a covert network that ensures terrorism continues in the region. Evidence is emerging that jihadists’ activities within and through coastal states are enabling them to fund, staff, and run the logistics they need to thrive.
Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria are battling with jihadist insurgencies and neighbouring states such as Ghana, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire are worried about spill over to their borders.
Ghana’s Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul, while addressing representatives of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Ghana’s capital Accra, said that in three years, the region has suffered more than 5,300 attacks blamed on terrorists, resulting in about 16,000 deaths and more displaced people.
Between January and March, more than 840 attacks took place. the minister called for greater intelligence sharing to better monitor jihadist groups.
“As professionals, we must resolve to bury our differences imposed by our nationality, our culture (…) and move forward with greater collaboration,” Nitiwul insisted.
West Africa has been rocked by two coups in Mali, one in Guinea and one in Burkina Faso since August 2020.
Despite the sanctions on Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, the regional body allowed representatives of the three countries to attend the meeting because of the urgency.