The terrorist attacks in the United States (US) on 11 September 2001 greatly increased global attention on terrorism. Furthermore, these attacks and other terrorist acts have changed international security from a state centric affair to include a wide range of non-state actors and their networks. These new developments required a global response and calls for stronger international cooperation to counter these acts of terrorism. While national and bilateral efforts are critical to counter terrorism efforts, coherent and coordinated regional responses need to be developed and maintained. This especially holds true for Africa as most African countries do not have the individual capacity – resources and technology – to fight terrorism.⁽²⁾

In West Africa, many factors highlight the need for a regional response to terrorism. These include the close proximity of borders, the easy spread of small arms and light weapons, the free movement of people and goods, weak and porous borders, and the increasing networks of criminal movements across borders. As such, this article discusses the regional dynamics of terrorism in West Africa and provides a brief overview of the role of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in counter-terrorism, while also outlining the prospects and challenges for further engagement of this regional body.

Regional dynamics of terrorism in West Africa

The West African region has become a fertile ground for arms, drugs, human trafficking, and organized crime. Within the past few decades, the increasing networks amongst criminal groups across and between the member states of ECOWAS have fuelled these various cross-border activities. It has become evident that these criminal groups not only share weapons, but ideas and cooperate on a wide range of activities, examples of which are shared below. These factors are entry points through which terrorism has spread on the continent.

At the national level, security threats have emerged due to the political, economic, developmental, and social deficits in many West African countries. Economic marginalization and poverty, weak governance structures, high prevalence of crime and banditry, and inefficient security structures, have contributed to an impoverished populace. Criminal groups ranging from bandits to armed groups and militia have evolved on this basis. More worrying is that these criminal groups are ready and willing to work together with and support terrorists in order to further weaken security on the continent.⁽³⁾ In the region, dissatisfied populaces create the space for the easy recruitment of locals for terrorist cells in the Muslim belt,⁽⁴⁾ many of whom are impoverished and comprise frustrated youth.

Terrorism in West Africa and the links amongst terrorist networks continue to emerge and be understood. Numerous examples of terrorist acts continue to be reported in West Africa. It is reported that rebel groups operating in the northern fringes of Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Chad are linked to similar networks in Northern Africa.⁽⁵⁾ As of 2008, analysts and counter terrorism experts point out that the terrorist group Al-Qaeda have used rough diamonds in West Africa to raise funds for their cells in order to hide money targeted by financial sanctions and to launder the profits of criminal activity.⁽⁶⁾ Recently, terrorism has emerged more strongly in West Africa by taking into account the recent bomb attacks in the cities of Abuja and Jos in Nigeria on 1 October and 24 December 2010 respectively. Examples such as these also highlight the increased know-how and use of terrorist tactics to cause havoc and insecurity and calls for a renewed regional focus to support and implement national responses.

Terrorism has had an immense impact in the sub-region. Terrorist acts lead to insecurity and political instability, while also affecting the economic bedrock of West African societies. In the economic context, terrorism has not only discouraged foreign investment and tourism, but has led to the use of funds for purposes other than they were meant for.⁽⁷⁾ Religious and ethnic tensions in countries such as Nigeria have created space for terrorism to prevail. Failed states have fuelled terrorism, specifically as politicians finance and support groups who use terrorist acts to exploit internal conflicts and promote political agendas.

It is important to note that regional intervention on terrorism remains rather weak. For example, cross-border counter terrorism cooperation, such as the monitoring of borders and information and intelligence sharing, remains inadequate across the West African continent, considering the highly transnational form of terrorism.⁽⁸⁾ Regional responses must evolve and be able to tackle and combat this transnational form of terrorism and this will require technical capacity, resources and an ongoing understanding of the complex nature of terrorism.

ECOWAS’ response to terrorism

Terrorism has implications for the security, political and economic development dimensions of member states and the whole region. This has therefore become of increased concern for ECOWAS. The premise for ECOWAS’ response to counter terrorism is guided by the idea of collective security where threats confronting nation states cannot be solved by states alone, but requires synergy of capacity and strategy.⁽⁹⁾

ECOWAS has evolved since its creation in May 1975, making a shift from focusing on trade and cooperation to an extended mandate in political and security aspects due to an increase in civil war and failed states. Some concrete efforts have been made with regard to ECOWAS’ work on terrorism. An example is Article 3 of ECOWAS’ Protocol for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security that outlines the combating of international terrorism as an objective of the regional body.⁽¹⁰⁾ A wide range of steps have been taken in ECOWAS’ contribution to regional peace and security, which can be seen as contributing to combat terrorism. These include the deployment of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and development of a framework for peace and security in West Africa, the periodic meetings between Defence Chiefs of member states, the creation of the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF), and the creation of the Moratorium against the Importation and Exportation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in 1998.⁽¹¹⁾ Other efforts include the January 2008 Conflict Prevention Framework adopted to support sub-regional responses to the challenges of cross-border crime, small arms and light weapons proliferation, and political, security, and resource governance.⁽¹²⁾ The regional body has also identified focal points in each of its member states with the aim of building an operational network.⁽¹³⁾

Various joint initiatives between ECOWAS member states and the US have been created to counter terrorism such as the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism Initiative (TSCTI) in countries like Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria.⁽¹⁴⁾ ECOWAS and the Sahelian and Saharan belts of West Africa currently have a counter terrorism partnership with the US and its G-8 allies, especially as the African region is one of the global sites for the US’ war on terror.⁽¹⁵⁾ Other partners, including the Security Council’s Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), and the US, have provided technical and other counter terrorism capacity-building assistance to a number of countries in the sub-region.⁽¹⁶⁾ It is critical that ECOWAS explore these partnerships at the regional level and find opportunities for engagement and collaboration on a wide range of counter terrorism initiatives, such as harmonisation of policies, capacity-building, technical assistance and information sharing.

In spite of the progress made, much remains to be done with regards to ECOWAS’ involvement in counter terrorism efforts on the continent. A dedicated unit to deal with counter terrorism remains to be created as the portfolio currently sits with the Office of the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.⁽¹⁷⁾ It is clear that terrorism has become a rather strong force that requires dedicated and more focused regional engagement than before. For ECOWAS to provide solid and strong counter terrorism support to its member states, it is critical that it has structures that focus solely on this.

A regional action plan has not been implemented and a priority for the Commission is to adopt a sub-regional strategy and plan of action which will help support counter terrorism efforts. Initiatives such as the West African Police Chiefs Committees (WAPCCO), which facilitates the exchange of information among member states on potential terrorist and international criminal activity, must be duplicated within the army, military, border control and Government Ministries. This allows for a holistic response to terrorism and will contribute to regional defence and security capacities.

West Africa provides an interesting case for regional responses to terrorism and is currently the most advanced in designing and building mechanisms and institutions to fight insecurity in Africa. In spite of this progress, ECOWAS has made more headway in the field of conflict management and prevention issues; however, its current level of engagement in counter terrorism is limited and more needs to be done.⁽¹⁸⁾ Moreover, its successes in the field of conflict management and prevention create an entry point through which its work can be enhanced to combat terrorism.

Regional responses will require a commitment by the leadership of member states to harmonise policies and work together in spite of their varied interests and resources. Effective collaboration will therefore require individual member states to give up some aspects of their national independence to contribute to the wider goals and the group collective. Furthermore, most countries in the ECOWAS region have not put into place legislations to combat terrorism except for Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal.⁽¹⁹⁾ ECOWAS’ role is thus critical in creating awareness and engaging with member states to put stronger legislations into place and to ensure that compliance is achieved.

Important to note is that while the global discourse and exchange takes place on terrorism, it is critical that an African understanding is also developed and ECOWAS is critical in building the African understanding as well as a plan of action for the sub-region.

The way forward

As such, emerging trends call for new and vigorous regional responses to terrorism and the role of ECOWAS in addressing and combating these new trends is critical. On a positive note, ECOWAS is one of the strongest sub-regional bodies on the African continent and has the potential to play a leading role in advancing the United Nations (UN) global counter-terrorism strategy in West Africa.⁽²⁰⁾ This is a positive factor in the fight against terrorism on the African continent.

It is important that a two-pronged approach is utilised whereby regional and national responses can support and supplement each other in the fight against terrorism. Both processes cannot work independently from one another and resources are needed at both levels to support and complement each other. ECOWAS can create a stronger mechanism for information sharing and pooling of resources and information for member states. Inasmuch as terrorism requires a regional response, it is important that there is engagement with grassroots actors and communities considering that those levels are more vulnerable to terrorist groups and are more likely to be involved in terrorist acts. It is important that regional and grassroots initiatives are linked closely to ensure that the information from the ground is fed up and utilised to develop stronger counter terrorism measures.

The ease of global banking and financial processes and the free and largely available access to the Internet in many underdeveloped African societies fuel terrorist networks. These factors continue to create an ease in communication and the transfer of information, skills and technology. New terrorist networks have emerged to become sophisticated, mobile and trans-global in their approach as they are able to move resources, conventional and unconventional weapons, recruiting operatives, and planning their activities irrespective of national borders.⁽²¹⁾ A regional response to counter terrorism will require a response that takes into account these developments through tracking and solid technological response mechanisms. ECOWAS, as an institution, must follow new technological trends and develop its own in response. It is important that it find avenues, resources and tools to adequately counter terrorism.

Conclusion

Terrorism brings more light to the political, economic, security, and developmental deficits in African states and what actions and responses manifest when these are not addressed. A regional response to terrorism must address these underlying factors that have instigated and fuelled this phenomenon, especially in the context of West Africa.

Terrorism will also require a sustained, coordinated and coherent regional response in order to curb and inhibit its presence and impact within the sub-region. The UN’s Global Counter Terrorism Strategy is a solid document which can help to support and establish ECOWAS’ role and engagement on terrorism in the West African region. It can also be used in the development of a regional action plan and response on counter-terrorism. Thus, the counter terrorism focal points in each of the member states of ECOWAS are critical starting points through which a solid regional response to terrorism can be build.

NOTES:

(1) Contact Dorcas Ettang through Consultancy Africa Intelligence's Conflict & Terrorism Unit (conflict.terrorism@consultancyafrica.com).
(2) Bolaji, K.A., 2010. Preventing Terrorism in West Africa: Good Governance or Collective Security? Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 12(1), pp. 207–222.
(3) Ibid.
(4) Obi, C. I., 2006. Terrorism in West Africa: Real, emerging or imagined threats? African Security Review, 15(3) pp. 87-101.
(5) Ibid.
(6) Philip de Andrés, A., 2008. West Africa Under Attack: Drugs, Organized Crime, Terrorism as the New Threats to Global Security, UNISCI Discussion Papers, 16, pp. 203 – 228.
(7) Ibid.
(8) Ipe, J., Cockayne, J. and Millar, A., ‘Implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in West Africa’, Centre on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation, 2010, http://www.globalct.org.
(9) Bolaji, K.A., 2010. Preventing Terrorism in West Africa: Good Governance or Collective Security? Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 12(1), pp. 207–222.
(10) ‘ECOWAS’ Protocol for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security’, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 1999, http://www.oecd.org.
(11) The Moratorium was renewed in 2001 and 2002 and now has been upgraded to a Convention.
(12) Ipe, J., Cockayne, J. and Millar, A, ‘Implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in West Africa’, Centre on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation, 2010, http://www.globalct.org.
(13) Ibid.
(14) Obi, C. I., 2006. Terrorism in West Africa: Real, emerging or imagined threats?, African Security Review, 15(3) pp. 87-101.
(15) Ibid.
(16) Ipe, J., Cockayne, J. and Millar, A, ‘Implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in West Africa’, Centre on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation, 2010, http://www.globalct.org.
(17) Ibid.
(18) Ibid.
(19) Bolaji, K.A., 2010. Preventing Terrorism in West Africa: Good Governance or Collective Security? Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 12(1), pp. 207–222.
(20) Ipe, J., Cockayne, J. and Millar, A, ‘Implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in West Africa’, Centre on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation, 2010, http://www.globalct.org.
(21) Obi, C. I., 2006. Terrorism in West Africa: Real, emerging or imagined threats? African Security Review, 15(3) pp. 87-101.

Written by Dorcas Ettang ⁽¹⁾