West African nations ready to contribute troops to regional counterterrorism force

Plans for a new regional counterterrorism force to address extremist violence across West Africa, particularly in Benin and Nigeria, are "in full gear," according to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The initiative is expected to directly undermine the operational reach of extremist groups by coordinating military pressure across national borders, disrupting supply lines, and preventing militants from establishing new bases of operation.

"Countries have indicated their preparedness to contribute troops," ECOWAS Commission president Omar Alieu Touray told France 24 in a report published May 21.

"Our ministers for finance and defense are expected to meet before mid-June so that they will determine the source of funding for our regional counterterrorism force."

The force's proposed mandate includes establishing a regional counterterrorism brigade of up to 5,000 personnel to be deployed in phases, representing a significant boost to existing national military capabilities in the region.

This is slated to begin with a 1,500-strong brigade and an ECOWAS force command post, Touray previously revealed, at a June 2024 meeting of ECOWAS defense and finance ministers in Abuja.

Such a force would enhance rapid response capacity through coordinated intelligence sharing and joint operations, while closing the territorial gaps that extremist groups have historically exploited to regroup or relocate after military operations.

The counterterrorism force "aims to create a reverse threat to terrorist networks -- making it clear that West Africa now acts collectively, armed and united," said France-based counterterrorism analyst Mohammad Omar Kabiri.

"Although there were past efforts to legally prosecute terrorists, those efforts often failed due to the absence of a unified judicial framework," he said.

"Now this system operates with institutional legal backing and could even serve as the basis for international prosecutions at the African Union and Interpol levels."

Ensuring regional stability

"This plan is not just a response to the threat. It's also a preventive and deterrent regional measure," said Afghan political analyst Nezamuddin Jamshidi, who is based in Islamabad, Pakistan.

"The participation of extra-regional allies, including the United States, the European Union and the African Union, in training, equipping, and providing intelligence support can be vital to the success of this initiative," he said.

Technical and financial support from allies outside the region can ensure long-term regional stability, he added.

"We have seen before how a lack of coordination allowed militant groups to flee to neighboring countries," said Germany-based international affairs analyst Ghulam Rasool Tawhidi.

With multinational logistical support, the force can respond swiftly across borders without diplomatic delays, he told Salaam Times.

"The creation of an ECOWAS counterterrorism unit is not just symbolic, it's a strategic step to fill the operational gaps that previously led to failures in joint operations against groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS in West Africa," he said.

Analysts note that the unit's ability to coordinate across borders could severely limit extremist groups' ability to exploit national boundaries for safe haven, while its unified judicial framework would make it harder for captured terrorists to evade prosecution.

The initiative could serve as a model for cross-regional cooperation, matching NATO and EU strategies with its three-phase approach of prevention, prosecution and reconstruction, Tawhidi said.

"Despite financial and political challenges, the initiative reflects member states' commitment to preserving peace and stability in the region," he added.