The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced the deployment of 1,650 personnel from its Standby Force in 2026 as part of a new sub-regional counterterrorism initiative aimed at confronting the escalating threats of terrorism and violent extremism across West Africa.
The decision follows an agreement by ECOWAS Ministers of Finance and Defence on modalities for funding during a recent meeting in Abuja, Nigeria.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day engagement between the ECOWAS Commission and two of its Training Centres of Excellence (TCEs) — the National Defence College (Nigeria) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (Ghana) — on Monday, September 15, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, said the personnel will serve as a Rapid Deployment Force.
He explained that the 1,650 troops will form part of a 5,000-strong ECOWAS Standby Force Brigade, which also serves as the West African Brigade of the African Standby Force. Their mandate will be to support member states confronting insurgency and terrorist threats.
“West Africa’s conflict landscape is increasingly defined by terrorism and violent extremism, with threats spreading beyond the Sahel into coastal countries,” Ambassador Musah warned. He cited Mali as an example where insurgent activities have shifted southwards and westwards, creating regional instability.
He stressed that ECOWAS leaders have recognised terrorism as an “existential threat” and are determined to intensify counterterrorism measures under the bloc’s Peace and Security Architecture. “The decision by the ministers, once approved, will set in motion the activation of the counterterrorism force, drawing on years of training by the TCEs,” he added.
To ensure readiness, the Training Centres of Excellence will continue to deliver courses, including Staff Officers Courses (SOC) and Protection of Civilians (POC) programmes, following a recent capacity needs assessment.
Deputy Commandant of KAIPTC, Brigadier General Ziblim Bawa Ayorrogo, emphasised the collective responsibility of the centres to remain “responsive, innovative, and collaborative” in supporting ECOWAS’s security objectives.
Ghana’s ECOWAS Representative, Ambassador Muhammed Gana, highlighted the urgency of the initiative, warning that insecurity in the Sahel is increasingly spilling into coastal states.
He urged “renewed political will to address root causes of instability” alongside proactive crisis management.
Other dignitaries present included Air Vice-Marshal Ayodele Ibrahim Hanidu, representing the Commandant of Nigeria’s National Defence College; Dr Cyriaque Agnekethom, ECOWAS Director of Peacekeeping and Regional Security; and senior officials from ECOWAS, KAIPTC, and the NDC.
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