The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says West Africa remains the most stable among Africa’s regional economic communities despite the growing threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. He said the sub-region had faced serious security challenges but had remained intact because of preventive mechanisms established by its member states.
Musah attributed the region’s relative stability partly to collaboration with the African Union’s African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA IV), which has supported conflict prevention, early warning systems, peacebuilding, crisis management and capacity development across West Africa.
He said ECOWAS had identified terrorism and violent extremism as the biggest threats to regional integration and had consequently moved to establish a Counterterrorism Brigade of about 1,500 personnel under the ECOWAS Standby Force framework.
The commissioner said early-warning mechanisms had helped ECOWAS detect and defuse tensions before they escalated into major crises. He added that the bloc had also supported research and training on emerging threats, including misinformation and disinformation.
Musah acknowledged the challenges facing the region but said the absence of an ongoing war between ECOWAS member states distinguished West Africa from some other parts of the continent. He said the bloc remained committed to strengthening regional integration through initiatives such as the recently adopted Compact of the Future of ECOWAS.
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