Editorial: ECOWAS Must Still Play Frontline Role In The Sahel Crisis
ECOWAS must still play a frontline role in the Sahel crisis after an al-Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg insurgents "murdered Mali's Defence Minister, Gen. Sadio Camara, in a sweeping assault in which jihadists and rebel fighters reportedly seized several towns and military bases" last week. The entire continent was "aghast" when it was reported. The development has drawn urgent attention to the deteriorating security crisis in the Sahel.
The region's crisis has evolved into a dangerous mixture of insurgency, weak governance, military rule, ethnic grievances, external interference and geopolitical competition. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have all experienced coups in recent years. Russia has expanded influence through the Africa Corps, formerly linked to Wagner, offering military support to regimes battling insurgents. Security monitors estimate that the Sahel accounted for about 51 percent of all global terrorism-related deaths in recent years. Across Africa, more than 150,000 deaths have been linked to militant Islamist violence over the past decade. The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) formed by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, has announced joint military operations following the latest attacks.
The AU and ECOWAS must move beyond routine statements and establish a credible regional security framework based on intelligence sharing, rapid response capacity and sustained cooperation among affected states. Governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger must also address the underlying causes of extremism. They must also review their decision to leave ECOWAS.
Quick Summary
The Sahel region is facing a complex security crisis involving terrorism, weak governance, and external interference- leaving the African Union and ECOWAS struggling to respond effectively. The question is, can a credible regional security framework be established to address the underlying causes of extremism?
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