By Olokuta Rofiat
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has unveiled plans to raise a 260,000-strong rapid deployment counter-terrorism force to curb rising insecurity across the region.
ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Touray, represented by Ambassador Abdel-Fattah Musah, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the inaugural African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit.
He said the force will confront terrorist groups that have turned the Sahel into the world’s deadliest hotspot, responsible for 51 per cent of global terrorism deaths in 2024.
An annual budget of $2.5 billion has been proposed, with Defence and Finance Ministers of member states set to meet in Abuja on Friday to finalise funding.
The force will complement the African Union Standby Force under the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), with ECOWAS appealing for UN and international support.
The initiative comes after ECOWAS activated a 5,000-man Standby Force in March 2025 and follows earlier proposals for smaller brigades.
However, it faces hurdles as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, who quit ECOWAS to form the Alliance of Sahel States are building their own 5,000-strong force.
Despite this split, ECOWAS leaders insist the 260,000-man deployment is vital to restore regional stability and protect member states from extremist violence.
