ECOWAS moves to deploy 1,650-member standby force against terrorism

Omar Touray, president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, says the bloc is accelerating deployment of its standby force to tackle terrorism in the region.

Addressing the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Monday, Touray said terrorism has spread beyond the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin to threaten all of West Africa.

“The threat is now regional in scope, and our response must match that scale,” he said.

Touray added that extremist groups are shifting tactics by launching “economic warfare”, targeting fuel supply lines and obstructing trade routes.

“These groups are deliberately restricting fuel and crippling trade across the subregion,” he said.

“Their aim is to destabilise economies, weaken states, and exacerbate humanitarian crises.”

The commission president said the standby force deployment would begin with 1,650 personnel before scaling up to 5,000 with regional and partner support.

Touray noted that while partners have taken action to combat terrorism, the proliferation of these initiatives has led to “fragmentation” hindering cooperation. He said coordination and cohesion must be a priority.

“No amount of money, no amount of equipment will help us overcome terror if we don’t collaborate and build synergy,” Touray.

“Our current differences should not be exploited; they should be bridged.”

Touray urged the security council and the wider international community to help ECOWAS secure financing and strengthen regional security initiatives.