Regional military chiefs have emphasised close coordination between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) during a meeting in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, on Thursday.

The talks, chaired by Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio, who is also ECOWAS' chairperson, focused on mobilising an initial 2,000 multi-national troops by the end of 2026 to respond to terrorist threat.

Participants stressed “the need for close coordination between the two organisations to ensure regional security,” despite the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from ECOWAS to form the AES.

Member states are expected to specify troop contributions, with emphasis on self-financing and using internal resources before seeking external support.

Coordinated response

The push to activate the ECOWAS Standby Force comes amid escalating attacks in West Africa.

According to the Global Terrorism Index, more than half of global terrorism-related deaths in 2024 occurred in the region, highlighting the need for a rapid, coordinated response.