Sun Oct 06 03:10:00 UTC 2024: ## Sub-Saharan Africa Bears Brunt of Global Terrorism: ECOWAS

**Abuja, Nigeria** – The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has revealed that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for over 50% of global deaths caused by violent extremism and terrorism. This stark reality was highlighted by ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray during a goodwill message at the News Agency of Nigeria’s (NAN) inaugural Annual International Public Lecture.

The lecture, titled “Insecurity in the Sahel (2008-2014): Genesis, Impact and Lessons for Nigeria”, focused on the devastating consequences of terrorism in the region. Touray, represented by Isaac Armstrong, emphasized that Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger are among the 10 most impacted countries globally.

“Burkina Faso has suffered the worst impact from terrorism, with deaths increasing by 68% despite a 17% reduction in attacks,” Touray stated. “Terrorist attacks, previously confined to specific areas in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, have expanded to coastal West African countries.”

Beyond the tragic loss of human life, the insecurity has led to severe humanitarian crises. In Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger alone, 4.8 million people face food insecurity, 2.4 million are internally displaced, and nearly 9,000 schools remain closed.

Touray stressed the transnational nature of the threat, calling for collective action to counter it. Existing initiatives include the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (MNJTF), the Nouakchott Process, the Accra Initiative, Barkhane, and the G-5 Sahel.

ECOWAS is currently working to establish a 5,000-strong kinetic force to combat terrorism, leveraging the ECOWAS standby force platform. The bloc’s president expressed hope that these combined efforts would stem the tide of violence and restore peace and stability to the region.

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