ECOWAS to deploy 260,000-strong counter-terrorism force
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is planning to activate a 260,000-member counter-terrorism brigade to combat the growing threat of terrorism and insecurity in the West African sub-region.
This initiative was announced by ECOWAS President Omar Alieu Touray at the 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Staff summit in Abuja.
The brigade aims to provide logistics and financial support to frontline states facing terrorism and will complement the existing 5,000-man brigade under the African Peace and Security Architecture and Continental Standby Force. The activation of this rapid deployment force is deemed necessary due to the asymmetric security dynamics in the region, particularly in the Sahel, which accounted for 51% of global terrorism deaths in 2024.
To fund this ambitious undertaking, ECOWAS requires an annual budget of $2.5 billion. A meeting of Finance and Defence ministers from ECOWAS member states is scheduled to take place in Abuja to finalize modalities for raising these funds. ECOWAS is also seeking support from bilateral and multilateral partners and hopes the African Union will urge the United Nations to fulfill its pledge under UN Security Council Resolution 2719 of December 2023 to fund 75% of African-led peace support operations.
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Beyond the counter-terrorism brigade, ECOWAS is also working on operationalizing its integrated maritime security, which includes establishing three integrated maritime centers and an international maritime coordinating center in Abuja, along with a strategy for countering transnational organized crime.
The summit highlighted the urgent need for a united African defense strategy, with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu calling for collective action and cooperation among African nations to tackle terrorism, cybercrime, and other security threats.
He proposed the establishment of a permanent African Chiefs of Defence Staff Forum for continuous dialogue, strategic planning, and operational coordination.
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, emphasized that Africa has become the epicenter of global terrorism deaths, with attacks in West Africa’s coastal states surging by 250% in just two years.
She urged African leaders to take full ownership of the continent’s security architecture and highlighted emerging threats such as cyber warfare and the impact of climate change. Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, revealed that over 1,000 insurgent groups are operating in Africa, stressing the need for African nations to strengthen their defense industries and own their technologies.
