The West African region is still on the center stage as the world worries about the emergence of violent extremism and terrorism. According to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, nearly one out of every five terrorist attacks in the world in 2025 is expected to occur in the Sahel, and over 50% of the number of terrorism-related deaths worldwide 2024 will occur in the region.
The insecurity situation has been more dynamic and militant networks are going further south in the coastal states like Benin and Togo using poor state infrastructure and porous borders. It is against this background that the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) has increased its role in the region by holding round-table events. The forums serve to help narrow the gap between community-based solutions to counter terrorism strategies and those led by states.
These dialogues were convened in 2024 and early 2025, in cities like Lome, Ouagadougou and Accra, and included representatives of civil society, national security institutions, regional organizations and international partners. It is aimed at facilitating joint learning, trust-building, and the creation of locally-based and rights-based approaches. Issues have been as varied as human rights protection in counter-terror efforts and the socio-economic instability that offers fertile soil upon which extremist group members are recruited.
Coordination, trust, and regional coherence
Empowering civil society groups to participate in the shaping of national security agendas is one of the main ambitions of the round-tables of CTED. The participants have stressed that no security plan can ever work without contributions by the communities, especially where there is very little state presence or where there is conflict. The civil society actors in Mali and the northern part of Nigeria have always cautioned that lack of inclusive consultation aggravates mistrust and leads to the cycle of marginalization.
Although the government officials recognize these issues, they are challenged with the issue of balancing security requirements and participatory governance. The round-table talks have tried to make operational frameworks incorporating local voices like by using community action plans, local observatories and conflict early-warning systems. Implementation however is usually delayed and there is a lack of coordination with regional organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Lessons drawn from regional security initiatives
The CTED discussions have also mentioned the current paradigms of partnership such as the Accra Initiative, the ECOWAS Standby Force, and the newly formalized Alliance of Sahelian States as the structural platforms with which to partner. These platforms are considered essential in coordinating military activities, intelligence dissemination and international interventions. However, fragmentation of regional alliances has been supported by recent coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger which have brought an element of uncertainty in the strategic environment.
As Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso left ECOWAS and joined alternative security systems supported by Russia, regional coherence now comes at even greater a cost. This re-orientation has compelled CTED and its partners to be more practical in their multi-track approach and engage various political actors whilst preserving the primacy of international law and human rights.
Structural barriers to measurable progress
Although dialogue has brought an optimistic mindset, there are still a few fundamental obstacles. The continuity in security policy and joint action plans have been hampered by military coups and transitions of leadership, as both have interfered with continuity. In other instances, the commitments made in round-tables have not even outlived political change or a changing foreign policy inclinations.
In addition, civil society groups often complain that international relations are still very top-down. Long-term, predictable funding requests have gone by without response and community-based groups tend not to have the institutional capacity to internalize and roll out support. The disjuncture between rhetorical inclusion and practical resourcing is one of the areas of frustration to the grassroots actors.
Security dilemmas and the militarization of aid
With the exit of foreign forces in the area, there has been increased concern on the possibility of spread of weapons as well as the establishment of non-state military forces. Russian involvement in Mali through the presence of Russian private military contractors and weaponization of local militias in Burkina Faso has brought up accountability and loss of civilian control.
There have been concerns that certain counter-terror measures are moving towards securitized solutions to the disadvantage of comprehensive development and governance by civil society leaders. This trend has been recognized by the CTED round-tables which have pushed to have a recalibration of responses to emphasize on resilience, economic empowerment and justice mechanisms.
Mobilizing resources and aligning priorities
In December 2023, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution, called Resolution 2719, which established the basis of a more regular funding of African Union peace support operations. This will be a possible paradigm shift to fund regional counter-terrorism. Such a global structure, however, has not been easy to translate into localized effect in West Africa.
Round-tables held recently have shown a discrepancy between the expectations of donors and the needs as laid down by the communities. The concern of stakeholders is that the impact of donor conditionalities and the disjointed program cycles tend to vary and are prone to bureaucratization. There is a call to have more adaptable funding structures where the civil society and local governments can adapt to the changing realities.
Strengthening capacity through regional infrastructure
The partners of CTED have recommended the extension of training centers, investment in regional intelligence centers, as well as, secure data transfers across boundaries. These are made to develop sustainable capacity without interfering with national sovereignty. Professionals emphasize that any such infrastructure should be flexible and should be interoperable with other regional structures and local governments.
An increased emphasis is also placed on technology transfer, and digital literacy initiatives that enable the local actors to equip themselves with the means of combating online radicalization. Social media as a recruiting tool of extremists is a familiar theme, particularly among the youth blocs who do not feel connected to the old institutions.
Redefining success in counter-terror efforts
The application of counter-terrorism in conjunction with the development and governance agenda is an issue of growing discussion in round-table discussions. This change can be seen as an acknowledgement that to counter terrorism, disruption is insufficient; it has to be a change. The need to build trust through civic education, dialogue in the community, and transitional justice has been emphasized by speakers in recent events.
Regional summit chair, Alex Asiedu, noted that a way of gauging success in counter-terrorism should not be limited to financial contributions or the quantity of training conducted.
“It calls us to move beyond pilot projects and isolated ones… We must measure success not merely by financial returns, but by lives that are transformed.”
From policy to practice
The success of round-table events will result in the actual change based on the long-term implementation. Political will, predictable funding and transparency in the accountability mechanisms must support policy blueprints and memoranda of understanding. The difficulty does not lie in the formulation of interventions, but in their implantation into the long-term systems of governance and participation of the community.
The round-table model has been useful in identifying shortcomings, raising marginalized voices, and creating harmonies across sectors. Its effect will be measured however by the ability to carry the momentum beyond the diplomatic phase. In the case of CTED and its partners, the second step will involve fewer statements and more results.
CTED’s engagement in West Africa reflects the complexities of navigating a rapidly evolving security environment shaped by diverse actors, shifting alliances, and structural inequalities. The round-tables have provided a platform for dialogue and alignment but must now deliver enduring frameworks that empower communities and reinforce legitimate state institutions. As the region redefines its counter-terrorism landscape, the test will be whether dialogue can evolve into resilience—crafted not in foreign capitals, but within the towns, networks, and institutions of West Africa itself.
