Insecurity: ECOWAS to create new force to fight jihadists

2026-03-03 - 19:07

West African states decided over the weekend to create a new 2,000-strong force to combat the growing jihadist threat in the region, diplomatic and military sources told AFP Tuesday. The idea of an anti-jihadist force has been discussed for years by the 12 member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The Sahel, a region that cuts across Africa separating the continent’s north from its sub-Saharan part, has for years been plagued by jihadist insurgencies led by groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. The groups have been particularly active in three former French colonies — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — that quit the ECOWAS group in recent years after juntas took power in the countries. The three countries will not participate in the new force, officials said. Following a meeting of ECOWAS military chiefs in Freetown on February 28 and March 1, details of the new force to “combat terrorism” were determined, a senior Nigerian military official told AFP. Several participating countries announced the number of soldiers they would contribute, he said. The initial goal is to have around 2,000 troops ready to fight “terrorism and insecurity” across west Africa, he added. During the discussions, military chiefs “painted a worrying picture of the regional security landscape”, a source close to the meeting said. “The discussions focused on the rise of the terrorist threat, the expansion of transnational organised crime, and the persistent challenges related to maritime insecurity,” the source said. The troops of the new force will remain stationed in their countries of origin, with Sierra Leone serving as a logistical base for the group, according to an official Sierra Leonean source. Discussions on how to finance the force are still ongoing, a source close to the talks told AFP. ECOWAS has not yet issued an official statement. sd-els-mrb/yad/kjm/giv