By Amin Kef (Ranger)
President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has called for renewed and strengthened regional cooperation, supported by sustained international backing, to effectively confront the growing peace and security challenges facing West Africa.
Speaking on January 30, 2026, at the ECOWAS High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security in Accra, President Bio warned that insecurity across the sub-region, particularly in the Central Sahel, has reached a critical stage and can no longer be addressed through isolated national efforts. He emphasized that West Africa now faces a shared security reality in which the safety of one nation is inseparably linked to that of its neighbours.
The President, who currently serves as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government, noted that terrorism and violent extremism have evolved faster than existing response mechanisms. According to him, armed groups now operate across borders with greater coordination and increased brutality, exploiting governance gaps and weak security frameworks.
President Bio cautioned that fragmented and reactive approaches have significantly weakened the region’s collective capacity to respond effectively. He stressed the urgent need for a unified, coherent regional strategy anchored by ECOWAS and supported by strong political commitment from member states.
He identified intelligence sharing, border management, logistics and surveillance as essential pillars of regional security that must be prioritized and properly resourced. In that regard, President Bio called for better coordination and reinforcement of existing regional mechanisms, including the Multinational Joint Task Force, the Accra Initiative and ECOWAS early warning and conflict prevention frameworks.
Beyond military responses, the President highlighted the central role of good governance, inclusive development and social cohesion in preventing radicalization and sustaining peace. Drawing from Sierra Leone’s post-conflict experience, he explained that long-term stability can only be achieved by rebuilding trust between citizens and the state. This, he said, requires investments in education, job creation, particularly for young people and women, and the strengthening of accountable and responsive institutions.
President Bio also underscored the importance of international partnerships, especially with the United Nations, in supporting African-led security efforts. He welcomed progress made on United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 and urged its full and timely implementation in a manner that complements, rather than duplicates, existing regional mechanisms.
In addition, the President identified climate change as a major threat multiplier in West Africa, linking desertification, food insecurity, displacement and competition over scarce resources to rising instability. He called for climate-related risks to be fully integrated into regional early warning systems and security planning frameworks.
Concluding his remarks, President Bio reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to providing inclusive and decisive leadership as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority. He urged regional leaders and international partners to move beyond declarations and translate commitments into concrete, coordinated action, stressing that West Africa must either secure itself together or risk destabilization apart.
