‘Regional cooperation key to tackling Africa’s security threats’ — Buratai

Former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has urged African nations to embrace home-grown solutions to the continent’s worsening security challenges, stressing that stronger regional cooperation and indigenous capabilities are essential to addressing emerging threats.

Buratai made the call on Friday while delivering a keynote address titled “Africa’s Priority Security Threats” at the 32nd Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He identified terrorism and violent extremism, transnational organised crime, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, governance-related instability, and the erosion of sovereignty through external dependence as the five major security threats confronting the continent.

According to Buratai, Africa can no longer depend solely on external interventions but must deepen regional cooperation, strengthen intelligence sharing, and build indigenous security capabilities.

The retired army chief described the Sahel as the global epicentre of terrorism, noting that the region accounts for nearly half of terrorism-related deaths worldwide.

He said West Africa recorded about 450 terrorist attacks between January and November 2025, resulting in more than 1,900 fatalities.

While acknowledging recent military gains in Burkina Faso, Buratai warned that extremist groups continue to carry out deadly attacks despite ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

He also expressed concern over the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, saying the move had weakened regional intelligence-sharing and collective security efforts.

Buratai further warned that violent extremism was spreading beyond the Sahel into coastal West African countries, including Benin, while transnational crimes such as arms trafficking, drug smuggling, piracy and cybercrime remained major security concerns.

He urged African governments and security institutions to deepen intelligence cooperation, invest in cyber defence capabilities, and strengthen resilient institutions to safeguard the continent’s security and sovereignty.