Africa Must Lead Response to Growing Security Threats, Buratai Tells Forum
By Zagazola Makama
Former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has called for African-led solutions to the continent’s worsening security challenges, warning that the continent is facing an unprecedented convergence of threats requiring collective action.
Buratai made the call on Friday while delivering the keynote address titled, “Africa’s Priority Security Threats,” at the 32nd Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The retired army chief 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 Africa.
According to him, the continent can no longer rely solely on external interventions but must strengthen regional cooperation, intelligence sharing and indigenous security capabilities.
Buratai described the Sahel as the global epicentre of terrorism, noting that the region now accounts for nearly half of all terror-related deaths worldwide.
He said that between January and November 2025, West Africa recorded about 450 terrorist attacks, resulting in more than 1,900 fatalities.
The former army chief noted that although Burkina Faso had recorded significant military gains under President Ibrahim Traoré, with government forces reclaiming about 72.7 per cent of occupied territories by June 2025 through Operation Lalmassga, extremist groups continued to stage deadly attacks.
He said intensified military operations in early 2026 reportedly eliminated at least 400 militants, but fresh attacks by jihadist groups, including those linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), underscored the persistent threat.
Buratai also expressed concern over the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), saying the development had weakened regional intelligence-sharing and collective security efforts.
He warned that violent extremism was spreading beyond the Sahel into coastal West African countries, citing a sharp increase in attacks in northern Benin over the past three years.
On transnational organised crime, Buratai said West Africa was facing increasingly interconnected threats involving terrorism financing, piracy, arms trafficking, drug smuggling and cybercrime.
He noted that criminal networks were becoming more sophisticated and exploiting weak border controls, digital technologies and fragile governance structures to expand their operations across the region.
The retired general also identified cybersecurity as an emerging national security challenge, stressing that African countries must invest in cyber defence capabilities, digital infrastructure protection and regional cooperation to counter growing cyber threats.
Buratai urged African governments, policymakers and security institutions to adopt coordinated, home-grown strategies capable of addressing the continent’s evolving security landscape while safeguarding sovereignty and promoting sustainable peace and development.
He emphasised that lasting security on the continent would require stronger institutions, enhanced intelligence cooperation, economic resilience and greater political commitment among African nations.
