West African Leaders Push for ECOWAS–AES Security Coordination

Regional military and political leaders have called for reinforced cooperation between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) during high-level security talks in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The meeting, chaired by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio in his capacity as ECOWAS chairperson, centered on plans to deploy an initial force of 2,000 multinational troops by the end of 2026 to counter escalating terrorist threats across West Africa.

Although Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger recently withdrew from ECOWAS to form the AES, participants underscored the need for sustained coordination between the two blocs to preserve regional stability. Member states are expected to confirm their respective troop contributions in the coming months.

Leaders also stressed the importance of financial autonomy, urging countries to mobilize domestic resources before seeking external support. The renewed drive to operationalize the ECOWAS Standby Force comes amid a sharp rise in extremist violence, with the Global Terrorism Index reporting that more than half of global terrorism-related deaths in 2024 occurred in West Africa — highlighting the urgency of a unified regional response.

Source: Newstimehub