ECOWAS Parliament Calls for Unified West African Offensive Against Terrorism

Jane Salihu

The ECOWAS Parliament has adopted a far-reaching resolution calling for stronger regional cooperation to tackle the worsening wave of terrorism and violent extremism threatening peace and stability across West Africa.

The resolution was adopted on Friday at the close of the Parliament’s 2026 First Ordinary Session held in Abuja, where lawmakers expressed deep concern over the growing insecurity in the region and urged member states to take more decisive and coordinated action.

Central to the resolution is a call for intensified collaboration among all ECOWAS countries, particularly in intelligence sharing, border surveillance and joint military operations.

The Parliament also stressed the need to maintain security cooperation with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger despite their withdrawal from the regional bloc, noting that terrorism remains a common threat that transcends political differences.

Lawmakers said the persistence of terrorist attacks in the Sahel and other parts of West Africa continues to undermine democratic governance, disrupt economic activities and weaken regional integration efforts.

The Parliament directed its Speaker to transmit the resolution to the President of the ECOWAS Commission for implementation and further action.

The move was partly prompted by the coordinated terrorist attacks that struck several locations in Mali on April 25, 2026, resulting in multiple casualties and renewed fears over the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel.

In the resolution, the Parliament strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as “heinous, barbaric and unacceptable,” and extended condolences to the government and people of Mali as well as to the families of all victims.

The lawmakers commended the ECOWAS Commission for its swift condemnation of the attacks and reaffirmed the regional body’s commitment to promoting peace, security and stability as enshrined in its founding treaties and protocols.

The resolution was based on recommendations from a joint committee comprising members responsible for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Social Affairs, Gender and Women Empowerment, People Living with Disabilities, and Trade and Free Movement.

By adopting the resolution, the regional parliament signaled a renewed determination by West African legislators to confront terrorism collectively and ensure that security remains at the heart of the sub-region’s integration agenda.