United Nations Security Council meeting on peace consolidation in West Africa.

Ambassador Samuel Yao Kumah
Ghana’s Representative to the United Nations
Security Council, United Nations HQ
New York, November 18th 2025

DEBATE ON AGENDA ITEM 38 ON “PEACE CONSOLIDATION IN WEST AFRICA” TO BE DELIVERED DURING THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFING

Mr. President,
Ghana congratulates Sierra Leone on her assumption of the Presidency of the Security Council for the month of November. We that you for convening this all-important meeting.

Our thanks also go to His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Secretary-General of the United Nations and President of the ECOWAS Commission for their insightful remarks.

Mr. President,
The consolidation of peace in West Africa in recent times has become one of the many challenges faced by our multilateral system. Accordingly, the timing of this debate could not have been more appropriate.

West Africa and the Sahel are facing unprecedented security threats from extremist groups, including the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), Jumat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslim (JNIM), Boko Haram, and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). These terrorists have taken advantage of weak governance, power vacuums, and porous borders, among others, to undermine existing structures of governance, oppress and destabilise communities, displace civilian populations and create economic disruptions. Additionally, food insecurity, which is a direct consequence of climate pressures, is driving a significant human toll in the region.

The situation demands a coordinated and multifaceted approach, blending security measures with governance reforms and economic development to mitigate the complex threats facing the region.
Ghana has consistently joined in the multilateral work against the rise in terrorism in our region. Our concern is not merely borne out of geographical ties but entrenched in historical geopolitical bonds and the common quest for sustainable peace and development in the region.

Ghana is actively engaged in promoting a platform for dialogue to address the security threats in the region, including its coastal states. The appointment of a Special Envoy to the AES by President John Dramani Mahama, with a strong mandate to foster coordinated efforts to combat terrorism and insurgencies, enhance intelligence sharing and border management, coupled with the President’s own working visits to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger earlier in the year are strong indications of Ghana’s commitment to deploying all available resources at her disposal, including preventive diplomacy, to counter the threat of terrorism and insurgency in West Africa and the Sahel.

Today’s debate symbolises the ongoing multilateral efforts in combating terrorism and achieving sustainable peace in West Africa, which is crucial to the achievement of this Council’s Charter obligations.

Peace in West Africa is an assurance of the safety and security of about 430 million people, of which fifty per cent (50%) are women and children and a youthful population with a median age of 18. Victory over terrorism and extremism is a safeguard to free movements of persons, goods and services across the region, and the enjoyment of fundamental human rights, not only among the citizens of the affected region, but across the wider African continent and the globe.

In conclusion, Mr. President,
Ghana commends the diligent and joint work of the United Nations and the African Union Peace and Security Council to address violent extremism in Africa. We also applaud the unwavering role of ECOWAS in spearheading this daunting but crucial task in our sub-region. Ghana maintains that the way forward is to foster dialogue between ECOWAS and AES, in order to rebuild trust and chart a meaningful and practical path towards the restoration and consolidation of peace in our region. This is a fight that ECOWAS and for that matter West Africa and the AES cannot wage alone. The support of the international community is, therefore, vitally important in this endeavour. Ghana renews her pledge and commitment to working closely with the international community towards dealing with this menace.

Peace consolidation is not merely the absence of war — it is the presence of justice, opportunity, equity and dignity. The world must not lose the momentum in the fight for peace in West Africa and the Sahel, because instability in the Sahel is instability elsewhere. The time for a more unified, coherent and coordinated approach to the issue at hand is now. Let us continue to work towards a safe and peaceful West Africa where peace will no longer be an ambition but a daily reality for all!

I thank you.