Ibrahim Gambari, a former minister of external affairs and Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, says more than 1,000 insurgency groups are operating within the African continent.
Mr Gambari stated this in his goodwill message at the African Chiefs of Defence Staff summit 2025, with the theme “Combating contemporary threats to regional peace and security in Africa: the role of strategic defence collaboration”, on Monday in Abuja.
Thirty-six out of 54 African countries are currently represented at the summit.
Mr Gambari called on African nations to first secure their own nations before securing the region and continent at large.
According to him, African nations must strengthen their defence industries and own their technologies in an effort to address threats.
He urged African nations to design and build their own security architecture that guarantees human security.
“We have to first secure our countries before we can secure our regions and then the continent,” said Mr Gambari. “Securing Nigeria has placed Nigeria at the forefront of securing the region and continent. There are over 1,000 insurgency groups operating in Africa.”
On his part, the president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Omar Touray, said the Sahel region accounted for 51 per cent of deaths in 2024.
Mr Omar, represented by ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah, appealed to the United Nations to fund at least 75 per cent of African-led operations to counter terrorism.
Earlier, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa, said the challenges bedevilling the continent defy borders, hence, the need for collaborative efforts.
Mr Musa stressed the need for an African-led security architecture to secure its citizens.
He assured that the Nigerian Armed Forces are ready to work with their colleagues across borders to tame terrorism and other threats.
According to the CDS, the enemy is within; hence, “We must be the architects of our defence and security.”
(NAN)