Regional military leaders have called for stronger cooperation between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) during high-level talks in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The meeting was chaired by Julius Maada Bio, who currently serves as ECOWAS chairperson. Discussions focused on plans to deploy an initial force of 2,000 multinational troops by the end of 2026 to tackle growing terrorist threats across the region.
Despite Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger withdrawing from ECOWAS to form the AES, participants stressed the importance of maintaining close coordination between the two blocs to ensure regional stability.
Member states are expected to clarify how many troops they can contribute. Leaders emphasized that countries should prioritize self-financing and using their own resources before seeking outside assistance.
The renewed push to activate the ECOWAS Standby Force comes as attacks by armed groups continue to rise. According to the Global Terrorism Index, more than half of global terrorism-related deaths in 2024 occurred in West Africa, underlining the urgency of a unified and rapid response.
Source: TRT AFRICA
