By Mark Longyen
THE ECONOMIC Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more than half the total fatalities resulting from violent extremism and terrorism globally.
President of the commission, Dr Omar Touray, stated this on Thursday in Abuja in a goodwill message at the maiden Annual International Public Lecture of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), under the theme: “Insecurity in the Sahel (2008-2014): Genesis, Impact and Lessons for Nigeria.”
According to Dr Touray, the Global Terrorism Index’s current report shows that the epicentre of terrorism has shifted out of the Middle East into the Central Sahel region.
Touray, represented by Dr Isaac Armstrong of the Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security, noted that 50 per cent of the victims of violent extremism and terrorism countries were ECOWAS member states.
“Burkina Faso suffered the worst impact from terrorism, with deaths increasing by 68 per cent, even with attacks decreasing by 17 per cent.
“Out of the 10 most impacted countries in the world, Burkina Faso ranks No. 1, while Mali ranks 4, Nigeria 8 and Niger 10.
“Terrorist attacks, which were initially confined to certain countries in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, have multiplied and spread to the coastal countries of West Africa,” he said.
The president said that in addition to the unbearable toll on human lives, insecurity had continued to have dire humanitarian consequences.
“In just the three ECOWAS Sahelian countries -Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, a total of 4.8 million people face food insecurity, 2.4 million people are internally displaced, and close to 9000 schools remain closed.
“A disaggregation of the data shows that Burkina Faso has 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.
He said that the number of schools closed stands at 6,000 in Burkina Faso; 1700 in Mali and 1000 in Niger.
“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 3,810 deaths.
“Mali, 546 attacks with 1424 fatalities; 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,” he said.
The bloc’s President noted that violent extremism and terrorism had inflicted pain and suffering on the people and ECOWAS member states.
“For example, in 2023, 3587 incidents of terrorist attacks were recorded in the ECOWAS region. These include close to 2000 in Burkina Faso; over 1044 in Mali; 500 in Niger.
“These incidents have resulted in close to 9,000 fatalities, including 7,000 in the three Sahelian countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
“Terrorist incidents in the coastal region include 177 in Benin and Togo that resulted in 203 deaths,” he further said.
The President said that the transnational nature of the terrorism threat had forced member states to initiate collective actions to curb the scourge.
He listed the initiatives as – the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (MNJTF), the Nouakchott Process (AU), and the Accra Initiative.
Others are the Barkhane, European Union Capacity Building Mission in Niger (EUCAP Sahel Niger); Minusma, and the G5 Sahel until recently.
“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 force,” Touray added. (NAN)
