In order to discuss “homegrown” solutions to stop the jihadist fight in the Sahel that threatens to “engulf” nations on the Gulf of Guinea, West African nations and European officials convened on Tuesday.
Islamist terrorists are increasingly threatening and attacking the coastal nations of Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Ivory Coast along their northern borders with Burkina Faso and Niger.
The conference in Ghana’s capital Accra also takes place at a time when more Western countries are pulling their peacekeepers out of Mali after the country’s military regime increased its collaboration with Russia.
Sahel security issues, according to Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, “threaten to swallow the entire West African area.”
He claimed that the threat was moving south because “terrorist organisations, emboldened by their apparent success in the region, are looking (for) new operational grounds.”
As part of the so-called Accra Initiative, representatives from the ECOWAS, the EU, Britain, and France met in Ghana with chiefs of state from the Gulf of Guinea, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
In response to the threat, Akufo-Addo called for a “home-grown initiative” as well as a comprehensive strategy including social and economic development to address the causes of jihadism.
“We are still steadfast in our determination to take on more responsibility.”
The Sahel crisis started in northern Mali in 2012, moved to Burkina Faso and Niger in 2015, and is currently sporadic attacks on governments on the Gulf of Guinea. Ghana has increased border security and so far hasn’t been the target of any attacks across international borders.
However, threats have come from Burkina Faso through the northern borders of Benin and Togo in particular.
Since November 2021, Benin has documented 20 intrusions, whilst Togo has had at least five assaults, including two fatal ones.
“We have been discussing the possibility of the terrorist threat spreading from the Sahel to the coastal states for years. Today, this is a fact rather than a risk “President of the EU Council Charles Michel spoke at the gathering.
As a barrier against the spread of violence, French and foreign peacekeeping forces had been working in Mali for almost ten years.
However, following two coups in Mali, the military junta expanded its coordination with Moscow and permitted the entry of what Western nations refer to as Russian mercenaries.
France’s forces stationed as part of its Barkhane anti-jihadist mission were subsequently withdrawn as a result. Last week, the United Kingdom and Germany announced that they will likewise stop participating in peacekeeping operations.
James Heappey, the minister of the British armed forces, stated last week that the country would “rebalance” its deployment, but he did not specify how.
Compared to the British long-range reconnaissance forces currently stationed in Mali, he claimed that Accra Initiative countries would likely require different capabilities.
He added in Accra, “We stand ready to expand on the strong connections the United Kingdom’s armed services already enjoy with many of the countries under the Accra Initiative.”
But it’s appropriate that you try to offer a solution because this is a regional issue that you face in West Africa.
Over two million people have been displaced, thousands have died, and three of the world’s poorest economies have sustained terrible harm in the three Sahel countries.
