The recent capture of foreign-backed militiamen and armed bandits in Burkina Faso is a timely reminder that no West African country can defeat violent extremism alone.
The time has come for a bold, coordinated response that mirrors the effectiveness and spirit of the ECOMOG peacekeeping operations of the 1990s. Anything less is merely a short-term fix for a long-term regional crisis.
For countries like Burkina Faso and Mali that continue to face brutal attacks by armed groups, as well as across the Nigerian Northern region and Chad, the problem is no longer just internal.
As Nigeria makes gains in arresting and neutralising domestic threats, the vacuum is swiftly filled by cross-border infiltrators of terrorists and mercenaries fleeing pressure in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
It is a dangerous pattern: the harder Nigeria cracks down, the more foreign fighters slip through its porous borders. The destabilisation of one country in the region inevitably affects its neighbours. That is why collective security must be prioritised.
West African governments and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) must set their ideological differences aside and come together in urgency and unity to declare an uncompromising holy war against all anti-state actors: bandits, insurgents, armed herders, and transnational terrorists.
This must go beyond rhetoric. It must involve joint military operations, intelligence sharing, border security coordination, and a comprehensive strategy to address the root causes of extremism, including poverty, illiteracy, disillusionment, and political exclusion.
The fight for West Africa’s stability is a national concern for each country and a regional imperative. The longer we wait, the more ground we cede to those who thrive on chaos.
This is the moment for strong political will and regional solidarity. The enemies of peace are well-organised. Our response must be even more so.
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