ECOWAS activates 5,000-strong counterterrorism force amid Sahel’s rising insecurity

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched a 5,000-member counterterrorism force in response to the escalating security crisis in the Sahel and wider West Africa.
Announced during the 43rd meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja, this force is designed to confront the growing influence of jihadist groups like the Islamic State affiliate in the region. The activation of the force, as outlined by Nigerian defense minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, comes amid surging violence fueled by extremist groups, especially in the Sahel. According to the Global Terrorism Index, the region accounted for over half of all global terror-related fatalities in 2024. The force will be pivotal in combating terrorism and trans-border crimes, with personnel mobilized across operational bases in the subregion. Peace support operations and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea were also high on the agenda of the ECOWAS security chiefs’ meeting.
However, the deployment faces challenges, particularly after the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS in January 2024. These three junta-led countries, which have seen rising extremist violence, formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), and their exit from the regional bloc complicates collaborative security efforts. Despite this fracture, ECOWAS continues to maintain diplomatic and security ties with these nations. ECOWAS leaders are committed to closing ranks against regional threats, but analysts express concerns about the force’s readiness and the ongoing political divides that could hamper its effectiveness in combating terrorism in the region.