President John Dramani Mahama has called for strengthened solidarity across the West Africa and Sahel region to ensure a united front in combating terrorism and violent extremism. The Ghanaian leader made the appeal on Friday during the opening of the Presidential meeting at the two day High Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security in Accra.
Mahama emphasized that since terrorism and violent extremism confront the entire subregion, it is crucial for countries to fight the threat together with a united front. The conference brought together Heads of State, foreign ministers, ambassadors, and intelligence chiefs from across West Africa and the Sahel in response to the deteriorating security situation threatening regional stability.
The Ghanaian President explained that the consultative conference would complement efforts by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States by improving coherence, strengthening coordination, and enhancing effectiveness across security, development, and resilience sectors. This approach aims to secure peace throughout the subregion through comprehensive cooperation.
Mahama pledged to lay foundations for a renewed framework that respects national sovereignty while reinforcing collective responsibility. The proposed framework prioritizes preventive diplomacy and early action, integrates security responses with development and governance initiatives, and places the wellbeing of regional populations at the center of policy decisions.
However, the President stressed that regional solidarity requires trust among countries as its foundation. He stated that regional solidarity works when it is underpinned by trust, consistency, and political will. The emphasis on trust reflects concerns about fragmentation among neighboring states weakening the region’s collective response to security threats.
Mahama condemned the recent terror attack in Niger and expressed Ghana’s solidarity with the government and people of the Sahelian country. The Islamic State (IS) affiliated armed group claimed responsibility for an attack on an air force base at Diori Hamani International Airport near Niamey, which occurred shortly after midnight on Thursday, January 29. Niger’s military government reported that security forces killed 20 attackers during the fighting, while four army soldiers were wounded.
The African Union Commission Chairperson also condemned a separate deadly attack perpetrated on January 18 in the village of Bosiye in western Niger, which claimed the lives of around 30 innocent civilians. These incidents underscore the severity of the terrorism crisis facing the region.
Presidents Joseph Boakai of Liberia and Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone attended the conference, alongside representatives from Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. African Union officials also participated in the critical regional gathering focused on rebuilding subregional cooperation.
The conference reflects President Mahama’s concern about the Accra Initiative, launched in 2017 to counter the southward spread of terrorism. He noted that political tensions and the emergence of new regional blocs have reduced the initiative’s effectiveness, even though insecurity anywhere in the subregion poses risks everywhere.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, reading the final joint communiqué at the closing session on January 30, said leaders acknowledged that West Africa has become the global epicenter of terrorism and violent extremism. The region records at least eight attacks daily and accounts for more than half of terrorism related deaths worldwide, according to conference assessments.
On security and counterterrorism, the conference resolved to strengthen intelligence and information sharing, harmonize legal frameworks for cross border prosecution of terrorism related offenses, and scale up deradicalization programs while safeguarding human rights. Leaders also committed to intensifying efforts against transnational organized crime, including arms trafficking, narcotics smuggling, and human trafficking.
In a significant move on border security, the meeting agreed to consider hot pursuit arrangements through bilateral or multilateral agreements to combat the fluid movement of extremist and criminal networks across national boundaries. Minister Ablakwa has been tasked with leading the process of drafting a foundational Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) within three months, with final adoption targeted within six months.
Beyond military measures, the communiqué emphasized a shift toward a human security approach prioritizing food security, healthcare, education, job creation, and inclusive governance. President Mahama outlined Ghana’s vision for a people centered security approach that links peace efforts with development, governance, and social cohesion initiatives across the region.
The President argued that military responses alone cannot deliver lasting stability, pointing instead to investments in education, jobs, infrastructure, and regional trade as critical tools to reduce vulnerability to extremist recruitment. This comprehensive approach recognizes that addressing root causes of instability requires economic and social development alongside security operations.
Mahama challenged leaders to move beyond declarations, insisting that citizens will judge success by tangible improvements in safety, livelihoods, and trust in public institutions. The conference aimed to restore confidence and consensus among states facing common threats while respecting national sovereignty.
The proposed outcome focuses on four pillars: preventive peace and security, economic integration, social resilience, and institutional cooperation. These pillars reflect recognition that sustainable peace requires addressing multiple dimensions of human security rather than relying solely on military interventions.
President Bio of Sierra Leone commended President Mahama for convening the conference and highlighted the link between insecurity and social conditions. He noted that terrorism often thrives where social contracts have broken down and where poverty and mistrust persist among populations feeling abandoned by their governments.
The Sierra Leonean leader called for stronger intelligence sharing and deeper collaboration among countries in the region to confront growing security threats. His country enacted the National Counter Terrorism Act in March 2025 following unprecedented domestic attacks on military barracks and correctional facilities in November 2023 that resulted in 21 deaths.
The conference may be remembered as a first step and turning point that reaffirmed collective resolve to act together and shape a future defined by stability, resilience, and shared prosperity. However, translating conference declarations into concrete action remains the critical challenge facing West African leaders.
Mahama emphasized it is neither realistic nor sustainable for any state to pursue peace and prosperity in isolation given the transnational nature of terrorism and violent extremism. The interconnected security environment demands coordinated regional responses that transcend national boundaries and political differences.
