The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has raised alarm over the rapid spread of terrorism across the region, revealing that extremist violence has expanded far beyond the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin and now threatens nearly every West African nation.

Speaking during a United Nations Security Council briefing in New York, ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Alieu Omar Touray disclosed that early-warning data recorded 450 terrorist attacks and over 1,900 deaths in 2025.

“Terrorism has spread beyond the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin to affect almost all of West Africa,” Touray warned. “The threat is now regional in scope, and our response must match that scale.”

He added that extremist groups are adopting new strategies, including what he described as economic warfare, by targeting fuel supply systems and disrupting trade corridors.

“These groups are deliberately restricting fuel and crippling trade across the subregion,” he said. “Their aim is to destabilise economies, weaken states, and worsen humanitarian crises.”

To confront the escalating threat, ECOWAS is accelerating plans to deploy its long-delayed regional counterterrorism standby force. The first phase will include 1,650 personnel, with the force expected to expand to about 5,000 troops as support from regional and international partners increases.

“Our standby force will be deployed in phases,” Touray noted, “starting with 1,650 personnel. Our objective is to scale up to about 5,000, depending on the level of support we receive.”

Despite the urgency, Touray cautioned that political tensions, coups, and diminished trust among governments are undermining joint security efforts across West Africa.

“Fragmented efforts and mutual mistrust continue to hinder effective cooperation,” he told the Council. “We urgently need to rebuild confidence among member states and coordinate our strategies.”

Touray appealed to the UN Security Council and international partners for dependable funding to sustain regional security operations. “Support from this Council is crucial,” he said. “We must work together to guarantee stable financing and enhance coordinated regional action.”

His remarks come amid intensifying concerns over the expansion of jihadist groups, rising cross-border attacks, and armed factions exploiting political instability across the region.