Source: Africa Publicity
The President of Sierra Leone and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Julius Maada Bio, has disclosed that “over half of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide now occur in West Africa.”
President Bio made the statement while addressing the ECOWAS High-Level Consultative Conference held in Accra on Friday, January 30, 2026.
He called on the United Nations, the African Union, and other international partners to work more closely with ECOWAS to strengthen and intensify counterterrorism efforts across the region.
He says “ensuring regional security must be a shared responsibility—one we are ready to finance, operationalize and defend resolutely.”
Emphasizing the urgency of collective action, he stated that “fragmentation is no longer an option. Delay is no longer acceptable. Our citizens demand protection, not explanations.”
The conference was attended by several Heads of State from the subregion, including the President of Liberia, Joseph N. Boakai, and the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama.
