Recalibrating Coastal West Africa’s Response to Violent Extremism

By Daniel Eizenga and Amandine Gnanguênon

HIGHLIGHTS • Extremist violence in the Sahel is spilling over into coastal West African countries. • Governments in coastal West African countries play the leading role in responding to this threat by proactively strengthening ties with local communities in vulnerable regions. • Regional security cooperation can bolster national defenses through intelligence sharing, coordinating border patrols, and training focused on community protection. • Forging a multitiered strategy—linking support to communities with regional and international bodies—would help contextualize local responses while sustaining regional cooperation to address the mplex threat posed by violent extremist groups 

   .

Africa Security Brief no. 43

 Washington, DC: Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 2024. 12p.