Insecurity: Africa Can No Longer Rely On Foreign Interventions, Buratai Warns
Former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has called for African-led solutions to the continent’s worsening security challenges.
Buratai made the call on Friday while delivering the keynote address, “Africa’s Priority Security Threats,” at the 32nd Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Security expert, Zagazola Makama disclosed this on Saturday in an X post.
There, he 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 the continent.
“Africa can no longer rely solely on external interventions,” Buratai said, urging governments to deepen regional cooperation, intelligence sharing and investment in home-grown security capabilities.
The retired army chief described the Sahel as the global epicentre of terrorism, noting that the region now accounts for nearly half of all terror-related deaths worldwide.
According to him, “between January and November 2025, West Africa recorded about 450 terrorist attacks, resulting in more than 1,900 fatalities.”
Buratai said that although Burkina Faso had made significant military gains under President Ibrahim Traoré, with government forces reclaiming about 72.7 per cent of occupied territory by June 2025 through Operation Lalmassga, extremist groups continued to launch deadly attacks.
He noted that intensified military operations in early 2026 reportedly eliminated at least 400 militants, but attacks by jihadist groups, including Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), demonstrated that the threat remained persistent.
Speaking on a TV programme earlier in March, the retired lieutenant general stated that relevant authorities are aware of those behind the funding terrorism but have reasons for not making their identities public.
Calls for stronger regional cooperation
Buratai expressed concern over the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), warning that the “move had weakened regional intelligence-sharing and collective security efforts.”
He also cautioned that violent extremism was spreading beyond the Sahel into coastal West African states, pointing to a sharp increase in attacks in northern Benin over the past three years.
On transnational organised crime, Buratai said the “region faced interconnected threats ranging from terrorism financing and piracy to arms trafficking, drug smuggling and cybercrime.”
He warned that criminal networks were becoming increasingly sophisticated by exploiting weak border controls, digital technologies and fragile governance systems to expand their operations.
Buratai further described “cybersecurity as an emerging national security priority, calling on African countries to invest in cyber defence capabilities, protect critical digital infrastructure and strengthen regional cooperation against cyber threats.”
He urged African governments, policymakers and security institutions to adopt coordinated, African-led strategies capable of addressing the continent’s evolving security challenges while safeguarding sovereignty and promoting sustainable peace and development.
According to Buratai, lasting security in Africa will depend on stronger institutions, enhanced intelligence cooperation, greater economic resilience and sustained political commitment among African nations.
Recent reports confirm that US Africa Command (AFRICOM), acting under orders from the US President, conducted precision airstrikes targeting ISIS operatives in northeastern Nigeria, which resulted in the elimination of multiple terrorist fighters.
These coordinated operations build on previous US military actions in the region, including high-profile Christmas Day bombings against ISIS camps in Sokoto State that drew both praise for counter-terrorism efforts and political scrutiny regarding foreign intervention.
