West African leaders pledge to mobilize $1bn to tackle terrorism

Leaders of the Western African regional grouping ECOWAS have pledged to club together $1 billion as urgent fund to address terrorism in the region.

The pledge came Sunday during the 62nd summit of heads of state of the bloc in Abuja, Nigeria.

A communique of the summit read Tuesday indicated that the leaders expressed their deep concern over the worsening regional security situation created by the resurgence and expansion of terrorist attacks and their humanitarian consequences.

The bloc, the communique added, is “very concerned about the security situation in Burkina Faso and its potential impact on coastal countries and therefore calls for urgent action to support Burkina Faso in its efforts to eradicate terrorist attacks on its territory”.

“The Heads of State and Government reiterated their commitment to the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Priority Action Plan 2020-2024 to eradicate terrorism in the region, as adopted at their 56th Ordinary Session held on 21 December 2019 in Abuja, Nigeria,” the final statement added.

The $1 billion will go into the Regional Counter Terrorism Fund set up for the purpose.

ECOWAS leaders have agreed to establish a regional peacekeeping force to intervene in member states to help restore security and constitutional order in a region that has witnessed several coups in the past two years.
West and Central Africa have made strides in the past decade to shed their reputation as a “coup belt,” but now West African leaders want to do more to boost constitutional government in its member states.

The region is reeling with terrorism. Armies of Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Niger have been engaged in confrontation with terror groups.