By|| Goodluck E. Adubazi || Abuja
Heads of State, senior officials, and regional partners from across West Africa have pledged a renewed, coordinated push to confront terrorism, transnational crime, and deep-rooted insecurity, following a two-day High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security held in Accra, Ghana.
The conference, convened from January 29–30 under the chairmanship of Ghanaian President H.E. John Dramani Mahama, brought together Presidents Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Joseph Boakai of Liberia, alongside representatives from Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo.
Leaders warned that West Africa and its immediate neighbours have become the global epicenter of terrorism and violent extremism, recording an average of eight terror attacks daily and accounting for more than half of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide. With extremist violence surging and cross-border criminal networks expanding, participants agreed that “inaction is not an option.”
The meeting followed preparatory deliberations by Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Security, intelligence chiefs, and partners including the African Union Commission, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and civil society organisations.
Rather than relying on ad-hoc diplomacy, leaders committed to building a structured and permanent framework for regional cooperation. The proposed framework will focus on shared programmes, harmonised standards, and coordinated infrastructure priorities, aimed at reducing the economic, social, and security costs of fragmented responses.
At the heart of the discussions was a collective recognition that security challenges transcend borders — shaped by shared geography, trade routes, ecosystems, and communities whose livelihoods depend on free movement.
Tougher Security Measures, Shared Intelligence On security and counterterrorism, the conference agreed to:Intensify regular regional meetings to review peace and security commitments.
Strengthen intelligence and information sharing, while harmonising legal frameworks to enable cross-border prosecution of terrorism-related offences, with full respect for human rights.
To counter the fluid movement of extremist and criminal groups, leaders also committed to exploring “hot pursuit” arrangements through bilateral, minilateral, or multilateral agreements, and to strengthening measures against arms, narcotics, and human trafficking.
A major outcome of the conference was the decision to develop a foundational Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and security protocols within six months. Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs will lead the process, with a draft expected within three months for consideration by Heads of State. The MoU will serve as the legal backbone for future bilateral and multilateral security cooperation and outline mechanisms for resource mobilization
Acknowledging that military responses alone cannot deliver lasting peace, leaders endorsed a shift toward a human security approach — people-centred, gender-responsive, and grounded in regional solidarity and respect for sovereignty.
Commitments include:Prioritising food security, healthcare, education, and job creation in national strategies.
Strengthening local governance so state presence is felt through service delivery, not only security enforcement.
Leveraging digital and emerging technologies to modernise governance, border management, and public services.
Recognising climate change as a threat multiplier, the conference agreed to integrate climate and food security into regional peace planning and to develop a collective disaster preparedness and response framework, including support for displaced populations.
Participants agreed to institutionalise the Consultative Conference as a biannual platform and to establish a mechanism for tracking and monitoring implementation of all agreed outcomes.
The conference closed with a strong message of unity and urgency, as leaders resolved to move beyond declarations and deliver measurable results that safeguard lives, livelihoods, and regional stability.
