We Must Operationalise ECOWAS Standby Force Now, Tinubu Tells W’African Leaders.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu urged his West African partners on Sunday to operationalise the ECOWAS Standby Force as a powerful instrument for combating terrorism in the subregion.
“We must act decisively to operationalise the ECOWAS Standby Force in the fight against terrorism to serve as an instrument for peace and stability in our region,” Tinubu urged West African leaders during the 67th ECOWAS Heads of State and Government Summit in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
Tinubu made this remark while serving as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government, just before he handed over leadership to Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio.
He stated that Nigeria remains dedicated to the subregion’s peace, integration, and economic growth.
He stated that no one nation can meet the difficulties of terrorism and foreign security threats in the subregion; thus, the ECOWAS Standby Force must be transformed from concept to reality to function as a regional counter-terrorist force.
Tinubu expressed concern about the force’s sluggish formation, which was expected to include soldiers from all ECOWAS member states.
“No single country can face these difficulties alone. We must improve coordination, increase political will, and prioritise a collaborative approach to security.
“This is why the ECOWAS Standby Force must go from concept to operational reality immediately. I’m a little concerned about the slow speed of activation, which is taking longer than expected,” he remarked.
He expressed delight that the ECOWAS military logistics base at Lungi, Sierra Leone, was completed under his command.
“I’m glad to report that the ECOWAS military logistics facility in Lungi, Sierra Leone, was finished under my supervision. “The depot will play an important role in providing equipment and other logistics to ECOWAS forces,” he stated.A surge of attacks in Benin and Nigeria has recently tested the area, with Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, and ISWAP terrorists taking advantage of tense relations between ECOWAS members and Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, who will leave the 15-member regional bloc at the beginning of 2025.
ECOWAS’s remaining 12 members are Benin Republic, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Togo, and Nigeria.
In March, the Niger Republic withdrew from a multinational task force formed by Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad to combat jihadists near Lake Chad, disrupting cross-border patrols and intelligence sharing.
According to the Global Terrorism Index, the Sahel area was the hub of extremist activity in 2024, accounting for half of all extremist-related fatalities.