Sierra Leone’s President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, has warned that more than half of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide now occur in West Africa, reflecting the urgent need for stronger regional cooperation and sustained international support to address the region’s growing peace and security challenges.

President Bio made the statement while addressing the ECOWAS High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security held in Accra, Ghana. He spoke in his capacity as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

According to the President, insecurity in West Africa, particularly in the Central Sahel, has reached a critical stage and can no longer be effectively addressed by individual countries acting alone. He said the region faces a shared security reality in which the safety of one country is closely linked to that of its neighbours.

President Bio noted that terrorism and violent extremism have expanded faster than current responses, with armed groups operating across borders with increased coordination and brutality. He said fragmented and reactive approaches have weakened the region’s collective ability to respond, stressing the need for a unified and coherent regional strategy led by ECOWAS.

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He emphasized that intelligence sharing, border control, logistics, and surveillance should be treated as core pillars of regional security rather than optional measures. He called for stronger coordination and better resourcing of existing regional mechanisms, including the Multinational Joint Task Force, the Accra Initiative, and ECOWAS early warning and conflict prevention systems.

Beyond military efforts, President Bio highlighted the role of good governance, inclusive development, and social cohesion in preventing radicalisation. Drawing on Sierra Leone’s post-conflict experience, he said lasting peace depends on rebuilding trust between citizens and the state through education, economic opportunities-particularly for young people and women-and strong, accountable institutions.

The President also stressed the importance of international partnerships, especially with the United Nations, in supporting regional security efforts. He welcomed progress made on United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 and called for its full and timely implementation in a way that strengthens African-led security initiatives rather than duplicating them.

He further identified climate change as a major factor worsening insecurity in West Africa, linking desertification, food insecurity, and displacement to rising instability. He urged that climate-related risks be fully integrated into regional early warning systems and security planning frameworks.

Speaking after the conference, President Bio reiterated the seriousness of the situation, stating, “Over half of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide now occur in West Africa.” He added that ensuring regional security must be a shared responsibility and said ECOWAS member states are ready “to finance, operationalize and defend” collective security efforts.

As Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority, he called on the United Nations, the African Union, and other international partners to work closely with ECOWAS to intensify action against terrorism in the region. “Fragmentation is no longer an option. Delay is no longer acceptable. Our citizens demand protection, not explanations,” President Bio said.

He concluded by reaffirming Sierra Leone’s commitment to providing inclusive and decisive leadership within ECOWAS, urging regional leaders and international partners to move beyond declarations and take coordinated, concrete action to secure lasting peace and stability in West Africa.