Between January and June, this year, West Africa weathered 1,814 terrorist attacks, which killed 4,593 people, according to ECOWAS. To better fight the scourge, the organization will benefit from the support of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last Friday, September 22. The document was signed by Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, and Vladimir Voronkov, UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism.

New York, 22 Sept 2023. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to strengthen their partnership in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism.

New York, 22 Sept 2023. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to strengthen their partnership in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism. pic.twitter.com/5Zn4P1GVcP

— Ecowas - Cedeao (@ecowas_cedeao) September 23, 2023

In a note issued on September 23, the ECOWAS said the MoU aims to strengthen cooperation between the two parties involved and fight terrorism and violent extremism over the next five years. The agreement will support the implementation of ECOWAS’ 2020-2024 Action Plan To end Terrorism.

It will also help bolster efforts to prevent the movement of terrorists, their financing, access to weapons, and the misuse of information and communication technologies.

It is worth noting that security in West Africa and the Sahel has deteriorated in recent years. Last July, at a UN Security Council meeting, the ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Touray, spoke of the "horrible" impact of insecurity in the region.

Touray revealed that in the first half of 2023, the region recorded 1,814 terrorist attacks, resulting in 4,593 deaths. At the end of April 2023, the number of internally displaced persons exceeded 6 million. Nearly 30 million people need food aid.

Several bilateral and plurilateral agreements, as well as operations, including Barkhane, the G5 Sahel, and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), have been initiated to overcome this scourge. However, "the multiplicity of these initiatives poses a challenge in terms of coordination, ownership, and inclusion,” Omar Touray added.

Charlène N’dimon (intern)