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ECOWAS TO RAISE 260,000 COUNTER-TERRORISM BRIGADES
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says plans are underway by the regional bloc to activate a 260,000-member counter-terrorism brigade.
President of ECOWAS, Omar Alieu Touray, stated this at the 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Staff summit in Abuja. The summit’s theme was, “Combating contemporary threats to regional peace and security in Africa: the role of strategic Defence collaboration.”
Touray, who was represented by ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, said this was part of the efforts to reduce the scourge of terrorism and other forms of insecurity in the sub-region. He said besides the counter-terrorism effort, the bloc is also pursuing the operationalization of its integrated maritime security, adding that no region in Africa is spared the scourge of terrorism, civil and predatory wars, organized crime, and underdevelopment.
He disclosed that the regional bloc required $2.5 billion for the activation of the counter-terrorism brigade in order to provide logistics and financial support to frontline troops in states facing terrorism. According to him, while the various crises may be local, they require a coordinated continental response, with the African Union serving as the glue and the ultimate coordinating hub for these endeavors.
He said, “There is no denying that West Africa, in particular the Sahel sub-region, has emerged as the epicenter of global terrorism, with several analytical surveys indicating that the Sahel accounted for 51% of global terrorism deaths in 2024 alone.
“On the directive of the ECOWAS’ Heads of Government, the organization is in the process of activating a 260,000-strong rapid deployment counter-terrorism brigade and to provide logistics and financial support to frontline states facing terrorism.
“While ECOWAS remains firmly committed to raising its 5,000-man brigade under the auspices of the African Peace and Security Architecture and more particularly the Continental Standby Force, the activation of this rapid deployment force has become a necessity given the asymmetric security dynamics in the region.
“We are conscious of the fact that this bold initiative requires the necessary financial resources and capabilities to make it a reality. To this end, ECOWAS will be hosting a meeting of the Ministers of Finance and Defense to agree on country funding modalities to raise an annual budget of $2.5 billion for the activation of the regional counter-terrorism brigade.”
Touray further disclosed that the ministers will be meeting this coming Friday in Abuja to finalize modalities on how to raise the funds.
“By this initiative, ECOWAS is also throwing the gauntlet to bilateral and multilateral partners to complement this daring regional initiative. In particular, we hope that this summit will, through the African Union, send a clarion call to the United Nations to redeem the pledge made under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 of December 2023 to fund 75% of African-led peace support operations,” he said.
The United Nations, on Monday, charged African leaders to take full ownership of the continent’s security, warning that violent extremism, cyber warfare, and climate change are already reshaping Africa’s stability.
It specifically said Africa today has become the epicenter of global terrorism deaths, with attacks in West Africa’s coastal states surging by 250 percent in just two years.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Amina Mohammed, while speaking at the summit, specifically called on the Defence Chiefs in Africa to be directly involved in taking ownership of the security architecture of the continent. She described the summit as “the birth of a new era in African security cooperation,” saying it was a rare opportunity to connect “the boots on the ground with the policies that shape our collective future.”
“Africa today is the epicenter of global terrorism deaths. Attacks in West Africa’s coastal states have surged by 250 percent in just two years,” the Deputy UN chief said.
Speaking further, Mohammed, who was a former Nigerian Minister of Environment, also highlighted new and emerging threats.
“By the end of last year, 14,000 schools were closed in the Sahel due to conflict. We risk losing an entire generation,” the Deputy UN chief warned.
She added, “Cyberspace today is a battlespace. Once it was the radio that carried messages of hate and incited genocide. Today, it is social media, amplifying division at terrifying speed,” she said.
On artificial intelligence, Mohammed cautioned that while AI can help predict food insecurity and detect landmines, it also “raises profound risks for human rights, dignity, and the rule of law. According to her, algorithms are already being used to make life-or-death decisions — a responsibility that must remain human.
