Ghanaian President calls for end of terrorism in West Africa

On Sunday, Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo called on members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to take concerted efforts to root out terrorism in West Africa.

As chairman of the regional bloc, Akufo-Addo's comments came during his opening speech at the 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government in Accra. The one-day summit, attended by ECOWAS heads of state and government had a main focus on regional and global developments.

Akufo-Addo said: “Our region continues to be the target of indiscriminate and barbaric terrorist attacks, resulting in the massacre of many innocent victims and the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the targeted countries."

He said that terrorist attacks in West Africa are expanding to coastal states, not just focussing on the Sahel. He called on the subregion to implement the regional action plan against terrorism and coordinate other related initiatives to defeat the threat of terror and insecurity in West Africa, saying that threats could only be tackled with concerted efforts and a collective resolve to use a united front to combat the terrorists. He further urged the subregion to go the extra mile to ensure stability.

He continued: “This will reinforce our collective response to this destabilising threat, and our determination in this end must be stronger than ever. Equally unshaken must be our resolve to maintain the stability of our region and its member states.”

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