Represented by the Programme Officer, Regional Security Division, Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, ECOWAS Commission, Isaac Armstrong, the president revealed that Burkina Faso alone accounted for 611 attacks with 3810 fatalities.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said it would establish a 5000-man kinetic force to tackle terrorism, following 1605 attacks and 6956 fatalities in the region from January to August 2024.
The ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Touray, revealed the alarming figures at an international lecture organised by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
Represented by the Programme Officer, Regional Security Division, Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, ECOWAS Commission, Isaac Armstrong, the president revealed that Burkina Faso alone accounted for 611 attacks with 3810 fatalities.
He said that Mali came second on top of most attacked country with 546 attacks and 1424 fatalities. Nigeria came third with 238 attacks and 905 fatalities, Niger 153 attacks with 676 fatalities; Benin 44 attacks with 66 fatalities and Togo 13 attacks with 75 fatalities.
He said, “On the directives of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, efforts are ongoing to set up a 5000-man – kinetic force to fight against terrorism using the platform of the ECOWAS Standby. This regional resolve does not take away the responsibility bestowed on individual Member States to take full ownership of their National Security responsibilities.
“Undoubtedly, terrorism is the major security threat faced by ECOWAS Member States. Initially confined to certain countries in the Sahel (Mali and Niger) and the Lake Chad Basin (Nigeria), terrorist attacks have multiplied and spread to other countries (Burkina Faso) and are now a real threat to coastal countries (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo).
“In 2024 from January to August, statistics from our Early Warning and Regional Security data platforms show that a total of 1605 attacks have been recorded in the region with a total of 6956 fatalities with Burkina Faso accounting for 611 attacks and 3810 fatalities; Mali 546 with 1424 attacks, Nigeria 238 attacks with 905 fatalities, Niger 153 attacks with 676 fatalities; Benin 44 attacks with 66 fatalities and Togo 13 attacks with 75 fatalities.”
Going memory lane on the severity of attacks, Touray disclosed that the region in 2023, recorded a total of 3,587 terrorist attacks. Out of this Burkina Faso, recorded over 2000 attacks while Mali recorded over 1044, and 500 in Niger.
“These incidents have resulted in close to 9000 fatalities: including 7000 in the 3 Sahelian Countries Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Terrorist incidents in the coastal region include 177 in Benin and Togo that resulted in 203 deaths.
“In addition to the unbearable toll on human lives, insecurity continues to have dire humanitarian consequences. In just the three ECOWAS Sahelian Countries, i.e. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, a total of 4.8 million people faced food insecurity, 2.4 million people were internally displaced, and close to 9000 schools remained closed,” he added.
He stated that a disaggregation of the data shows that Burkina Faso had the highest number of food-insecure people, close to 2.2 million, followed by Niger with 1.9 million, and Mali with about 800 000.
“Burkina Faso also accounts for the largest number of internally displaced people – about 2 million; while Mali and Niger each have close to half a million displaced persons. The number of schools closed stood at 6 000 in Burkina Faso, 1700 in Mali and 1000 in Niger,” he added.
The proposed force aims to curb terrorism’s spread across the region. This initiative is part of ECOWAS’s efforts to address the deteriorating security situation, particularly in the Sahel region, where terrorist groups have been gaining ground.
The regional bloc has previously launched interventions, such as the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), to restore stability in countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia.
However, experts warn that the success of the proposed force hinges on securing substantial financial resources, estimated at $2.6billion annually.
