Violent Extremism in West Africa: Are Current Responses Enough?

West Africa, Terrorism, ECOWAS, Policy

In recent years, West Africa and the Sahel have become a hotbed of predatory activities by violent extremist groups. A host of terrorist groups—including Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), Ansarul Islam, and Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), operating in Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and other countries in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin—have wreaked destruction and exploited security vulnerabilities in carrying out sustained attacks against both civilian and security targets. Ominously, developments in Burkina Faso, which is fast becoming the epicenter of terrorist violence in the region, reveal the southward spread of terrorist activity, with possible consequences for West African coastal states such as Ghana, Benin, and Togo. To curb the expanding threat of terrorism, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with significant support from external partners, has developed various strategies and mechanisms. While these mechanisms have helped, terrorism in West Africa nonetheless continues to flourish. Consequently, this paper examines the region’s responses and recommends options for enhancing their effectiveness.