Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has raised alarm over the escalating threat of terrorism in West Africa, revealing that an average of 44 people lose their lives daily to terrorist attacks across the sub-region.
According to the Minister, the region records about eight terrorist attacks each day, accounting for between 47 and nearly 60 per cent of global terrorism incidents.
He described the situation as a grim and urgent security challenge confronting West African states.
Mr. Ablakwa made these remarks at a High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security held in Accra.
The conference brought together security chiefs and senior officials from Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Mali and other countries within the sub-region.
He noted that the scale and frequency of attacks underscore the need for stronger regional collaboration, intelligence sharing and coordinated responses to counter the growing menace of terrorism and violent extremism.
The Foreign Affairs Minister said the conference was aimed at developing proactive and strategic approaches to pre-empt, confront and ultimately curtail insecurity in West Africa, stressing that no single country can effectively address the threat in isolation.
Participants at the conference are expected to deliberate on joint security frameworks, cross-border cooperation and practical measures to strengthen regional resilience against terrorism.
The meeting comes amid growing concerns over the spillover of extremist activities from the Sahel into coastal West African states, including Ghana, prompting renewed calls for collective action to safeguard peace and stability in the region.
Source : www.kumasimail.com
