West African Leaders Sound Alarm On Terror Surge, Agree on New Security Pact Framework
As terror attacks tighten their grip on communities and borders across West Africa, regional leaders are shifting from talk to structure, seeking permanent cooperation to confront a crisis they say no state can tackle alone.
Meeting in Accra from 29 to 30 January 2026, Heads of State and representatives from Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo adopted a joint communiqué committing to a new, people-centred security architecture for the sub-region.
The high-level conference, chaired by John Dramani Mahama, with Julius Maada Bio and Joseph Boakai leading their delegations, warned that West Africa has become the global epicentre of terrorism, recording daily attacks and mounting civilian casualties.
Nigeria’s delegation was led by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Participants agreed to deepen intelligence sharing, harmonise legal frameworks for prosecuting terror-related crimes, strengthen de-radicalisation programmes and consider “hot pursuit” arrangements to curb cross-border criminal movement.
A foundational Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation and security is to be drafted within three months and finalised within six, forming the legal backbone for bilateral and multilateral action.
Beyond military responses, leaders pledged a shift to a human security approach, prioritising food security, jobs, healthcare, education, climate resilience and inclusive governance, while establishing a bi-annual platform to track implementation and ensure accountability.
The meeting closed with a renewed pledge to translate commitments into measurable outcomes that protect lives and livelihoods across the region.
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