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BAHIR DAR, Ethiopia — President John Dramani Mahama has called for a new regional security arrangement among willing West African countries to strengthen cooperation against terrorism, violent extremism and other security threats.
Speaking on Saturday, October 24, at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, President Mahama proposed a Sahel-Gulf of Guinea Accord as a new framework for regional collaboration.
The Ghanaian leader made the proposal while presenting the 2026 State of Peace and Security in Africa Report, which examines political and economic conditions contributing to conflicts across the continent between January 2025 and June 2026.
President Mahama said Ghana was working with neighbouring countries to strengthen bilateral, minilateral and multilateral security cooperation, following concerns that the Accra Initiative had stalled.
The Accra Initiative was established to promote cooperation among countries in West Africa and the Sahel in addressing terrorism and violent extremism. Mahama’s proposed accord would seek to encourage countries willing to cooperate to work together on shared security challenges.
ECOWAS-AES divisions weaken regional cooperation
President Mahama identified tensions between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) as a challenge to coordinated regional security efforts.
The AES brings together Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which have pursued a separate regional framework amid strained relations with ECOWAS.
Mahama said Ghana had continued engaging with AES countries despite their differences with the West African regional bloc, emphasising the importance of maintaining dialogue and practical cooperation across regional divides.
The proposed Sahel-Gulf of Guinea Accord is intended to provide an additional avenue for countries to coordinate their responses to security threats that cross national borders.
Mahama calls for accountability over security agreements
The President also urged the African Union (AU) and regional economic communities to strengthen accountability by assessing whether governments are fulfilling their commitments under existing peace and security agreements.
He argued that Africa had developed numerous policies and frameworks to address insecurity but continued to struggle with implementation.
Mahama called for institutions to evaluate countries’ compliance and openly identify governments that fail to meet their obligations.
His position highlights a persistent challenge facing African peace and security initiatives: translating declarations and agreements into coordinated action on the ground.
Linking peace to economic transformation
The Tana Forum, held under the theme “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation,” brought together African leaders, policymakers and security experts to discuss the continent’s peace and development challenges.
In related remarks, Mahama called for African countries to address underlying economic conditions that contribute to instability, including marginalisation, limited industrial development and dependence on external support.
He urged governments to create greater value from the continent’s natural resources, expand domestic industrial capacity, strengthen food and energy sovereignty, and make regional trade a stronger driver of shared prosperity.
The President’s proposals place regional security cooperation, institutional accountability and economic transformation at the centre of efforts to address Africa’s conflicts.
The success of the proposed Sahel-Gulf of Guinea Accord, however, will depend on the willingness of participating countries to agree on practical arrangements and sustain cooperation beyond political declarations.
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