ECOWAS Says Regional Unity Has Kept West Africa Stable Despite Security Threats
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said West Africa has maintained relative stability despite growing threats from terrorism, violent extremism and political instability across the sub-region.
The ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, made this known on Monday in Abuja, stressing that preventive measures adopted by regional leaders had helped prevent the sub-region from falling apart. He said cooperation with the African Union’s peace and security structures had strengthened ECOWAS’ ability to respond to emerging crises.
Musah said mechanisms such as early-warning systems, conflict prevention initiatives, peacebuilding and election support had played an important role in identifying and addressing tensions before they escalated. He added that regional institutions had also invested in research and training to address emerging challenges, including the growing impact of misinformation and disinformation on peace and security.
He said terrorism remained one of the biggest threats to regional integration, prompting ECOWAS to establish a counterterrorism brigade of about 1,500 personnel under its standby force framework. Despite earlier predictions that insecurity and political divisions could lead to the collapse of the bloc, Musah said ECOWAS had remained functional and continued to develop new strategies, including the recently adopted Compact of the Future of ECOWAS, aimed at shaping the next phase of regional integration.
