{
  "id": 1670064,
  "title": "Why W’Africa Must Rethink Its Security Beyond Battlefield",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/why-wafrica-must-rethink-its-security-beyond-battlefield",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T07:58:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/08/18/why-wafrica-must-rethink-its-security-beyond-battlefield/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent security retreat convened by the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement, in partnership with the Open Society Foundations, has highlighted the need for West Africa to rethink its approach to security beyond military operations. For decades, the region has grappled with a range of security challenges, including terrorism, organized crime, insurgency, and illicit activities such as kidnapping, arms trafficking, and cyber-enabled crime. These issues have evolved into a complex web of transnational threats that defy traditional military solutions.\n\nDuring the retreat, experienced diplomats, former intelligence chiefs, military strategists, and policy experts gathered to discuss why insecurity continues to persist despite years of military interventions, expanded defence budgets, and advanced security architecture. The consensus was clear: West Africa must adopt a comprehensive approach to security that prioritizes governance and institutional development alongside traditional security measures.\n\nKey insights from the retreat emphasized that the root cause of many security issues lies in weak institutions, corruption, youth unemployment, fragile public services, social exclusion, and declining public confidence in government. These factors create fertile ground for extremist organizations and criminal networks to thrive. Terrorist groups often gain strength in areas where citizens lose faith in the state's ability to protect them or improve their quality of life. In contrast, organized crime flourishes where law enforcement is under-resourced and justice systems are ineffective. As a result, criminal organizations have increasingly taken on functions traditionally fulfilled by the state, providing protection, income, and influence where legitimate institutions fail.\n\nParticipants at the retreat stressed that governance and security are intrinsically linked. Building effective institutions, restoring public trust, and addressing the underlying drivers of conflict are essential for achieving lasting peace. Military force can suppress violence temporarily, but it rarely leads to sustainable stability. Instead, a holistic approach that strengthens governance, improves public services, and enhances intelligence capabilities is crucial. Modern security threats require predictive and collaborative intelligence systems that can anticipate and prevent attacks before they occur. This calls for stronger political commitment to reform these institutions and foster a more integrated approach to security, recognizing that winning peace is fundamentally different from merely winning battles.",
  "summary": "Raheem Akingbolu, who attended a recent security retreat convened by the Amandla Institute in partnership with the Open Society Foundations, argues that West Africa can not shoot its way to",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}