State Of West Africa: A Survey Of Security Landscape'

Abstract

West Africa is a highly complex region full of potential and difficulties. The region is made up of 16 states. With the exception of Mauritania, the remaining states constitute members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). A defining feature of the state of the West Africa sub-region has been the characteristic failure of states to provide and/or guarantee public safety. This paper attempts to briefly map the state of West Africa with emphasis on security situation in the region. It contends that the region’s landscape is characterized by various security threats, differing in their nature, manifestation and intensity. The major security threats were surveyed under two broad categories: state-related security challenges and non-state actors related security challenges. The imperative of addressing these security and governance challenges have inspired the adoption of several regional mechanisms and instruments for enhancing security, development, and conflict management in the region. Some of these mechanisms, instruments and conventions were briefly highlighted. It concludes that