Accra, Ghana, January 30, 2026 – His Excellency, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority, has called for renewed and strengthened regional cooperation, backed by sustained international support, to address the escalating peace and security challenges confronting West Africa.
Delivering a statement at the ECOWAS High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security in Accra, President Bio warned that insecurity in the region, particularly in the Central Sahel, has reached a critical point and can no longer be addressed through isolated national responses. He stressed that West Africa faces a shared security reality, where the safety of one state is inseparable from that of its neighbours.
President Bio noted that terrorism and violent extremism have outpaced existing responses, with armed groups operating across borders with increasing coordination and brutality. He said fragmented and reactive approaches have weakened the region’s collective capacity to respond effectively, underscoring the urgent need for a unified and coherent regional strategy anchored by ECOWAS
The President emphasized that intelligence sharing, border management, logistics, and surveillance must be treated as essential components of regional security, not optional measures. He called for better alignment and resourcing of existing mechanisms such as the Multinational Joint Task Force, the Accra Initiative, and ECOWAS early warning and conflict prevention frameworks
Beyond military responses, the President highlighted the importance of governance, inclusive development, and social cohesion in preventing radicalisation. Drawing from Sierra Leone’s post-conflict experience, he stressed that sustainable peace requires rebuilding trust between citizens and the state through education, economic opportunities, especially for young people and women, and strong, accountable institutions
President Bio also underscored the critical role of international partners, particularly the United Nations, in supporting regional efforts. He welcomed progress on United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 and called for its full and timely implementation in a manner that reinforces, rather than duplicates, African-led security mechanisms
He further identified climate change as a major threat multiplier in West Africa, linking desertification, food insecurity, and displacement to rising instability, and urged that climate risks be fully integrated into regional early warning and security planning frameworks
Concluding his remarks, President Bio reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment, as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, to lead with resolve and inclusivity. He urged regional leaders and international partners to translate declarations into concrete, coordinated action, stressing that the region must either secure itself together or face destabilisation apart
For media enquiries, contact:
State House Media and Communications Unit
info@statehouse.gov.sl
