By Hannah Dadzie
President John Dramani Mahama has urged West African states to rebuild trust and forge a renewed framework for security cooperation, warning that fragmentation among neighbours is weakening the region’s response to terrorism and violent extremism.
Speaking at a high-level consultative conference in Accra, President Mahama said the deteriorating security situation, underscored by a recent deadly attack in Niger, demands urgent, collective action that respects national sovereignty while reinforcing shared responsibility. He expressed solidarity with Niger and described the conference as a first step toward restoring confidence and consensus among states facing common threats.
“May this conference be remembered as a first step and a turning point, one that reaffirmed our collective resolve to act together and to shape a future that is defined by stability, resilience and shared prosperity. I thank you for your leadership, constructive engagement and steadfast partnership,” he said.
The President reflected on the Accra Initiative, launched in 2017 to counter the southward spread of terrorism, noting that political tensions and the emergence of new regional blocs have reduced its effectiveness. He stressed, however, that insecurity anywhere in the sub-region poses risks everywhere, making cooperation unavoidable.
“It is neither realistic nor sustainable for any state to pursue peace and prosperity in isolation,” he said.
President Mahama outlined Ghana’s vision for a people-centred security approach that links peace efforts with development, governance and social cohesion. He argued that military responses alone cannot deliver lasting stability, pointing instead to investments in education, jobs, infrastructure and regional trade as critical tools to reduce vulnerability to extremist recruitment.
He added that the proposed outcome of the conference focuses on four pillars: preventive peace and security, economic integration, social resilience, and institutional coordination, designed to complement existing ECOWAS and African Union mechanisms rather than replace them.
Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, described the meeting as a defining moment for the region, warning that terrorism has outpaced collective responses. He said more than half of global terrorism-related deaths now occur in West Africa, making intelligence sharing, border management and coordinated operations an imperative, not an option.
“The choices we make together today will determine whether our region is secured by collective resolve or weakened by our collective failure and vulnerability. This meeting comes at a very critical time for our region. In West Africa today, there is no national security in isolation.” He said.
President Bio called for stronger alignment among regional security initiatives and deeper collaboration with international partners, including the United Nations, to ensure predictable funding and operational support. He also highlighted climate change as a growing threat multiplier, intensifying displacement, food insecurity and conflict.
“We call on the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union to work closely with ECOWAS to establish mandates, secure funding, and deploy operational assets without further delay. Before we meet again, our regional security mechanisms should be operationalized, funded, and coordinated.” President Bio said.
Liberian President Joseph Boakai echoed the urgency, citing Liberia’s own experience with conflict as a reminder of the cost of inaction.
“We are here because there is only one option, our collective survivor, the survivor of our people. None of us can be peaceful and stable if any of us is insecure and terrorized. Liberia is not safe. Even each of Ghana is in terror. We must act together, otherwise we perish together. We must act without delay.” President Boakai said.
He pledged Liberia’s full support for the initiative and emphasized the need for collective security, particularly as transnational crime, cyber threats and youth unemployment strain national capacities.
“I therefore reaffirm our government commitment to the mechanism and stand ready to work with other heads of states in implementing the recommendations. The issues identified are not isolated issues. We face them daily and we sometimes seem to be overwhelmed given the multiplicity of the interconnected route to our security challenges and the many other priorities we must address with very limited resources. .” He added.
As discussions continue, President Mahama challenged leaders to move beyond declarations, insisting that citizens will judge success by tangible improvements in safety, livelihoods and trust in public institutions.
