W’African Leaders to Deepen Regional Security Cooperation at Accra Conference

Michael Olugbode in Abuja 

Leaders from several West African countries have agreed to pursue a new, structured approach to regional cooperation aimed at tackling terrorism, cross-border crime, and deepening insecurity across the sub-region.

The commitment was reached at the end of a two-day High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security held in Accra from January 29 to 30, 2026. 

The meeting was chaired by Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, with Presidents Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Joseph Boakai of Liberia leading the delegations. 

Representatives from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, and Togo also participated.

Discussions at the conference focused on the worsening security situation in West Africa, which leaders described as facing an alarming rise in terrorism and violent extremism.

Participants noted that the frequency of attacks and loss of civilian lives now posed serious threat to regional stability, economic activity, and social cohesion, making coordinated action unavoidable.

The conference followed earlier technical sessions involving Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Security, as well as intelligence chiefs from participating states.

Development partners, including the African Union Commission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), alongside civil society organisations, contributed to the deliberations.

Leaders agreed that existing responses to insecurity have been too fragmented and largely reactive. 

As a result, the conference resolved to work toward a permanent framework for cooperation that would strengthen collective responses, improve information sharing, and address the structural drivers of insecurity across borders.

A key outcome of the meeting was a renewed emphasis on a human security approach, recognising that military measures alone could not deliver lasting peace. 

The leaders pledged to prioritise governance reforms, job creation, access to education and healthcare, and community-based peacebuilding as part of national and regional security strategies.

On counterterrorism, the conference agreed to enhance intelligence and information sharing, harmonise legal frameworks to support cross-border prosecution of terrorism-related crimes, and expand deradicalisation programmes while upholding human rights standards. 

Measures to combat trafficking in arms, narcotics, and persons were also highlighted.

To strengthen border security, participants committed to exploring joint operational measures, including possible “hot-pursuit” arrangements through bilateral or multilateral agreements. 

They further agreed to develop a foundational Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation and security within six months, with Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs tasked with leading the drafting process.