The ECOWAS Parliament has mandated an urgent investigation into the surge of terrorist attacks across West Africa and the growing wave of xenophobic violence targeting African migrants in South Africa.
The resolution was adopted during the First 2026 Ordinary Session of the Parliament held in Abuja on Tuesday, following a motion raised by Ghanaian lawmaker and Third Deputy Speaker, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
Presenting the motion as a matter of “urgent direct and profound importance,” Afenyo-Markin called for immediate regional action to address worsening insecurity and the vulnerability of West African citizens both within the sub-region and abroad.
In response, the Parliament directed its Committee on Political Affairs to investigate recent terrorist incidents, particularly in Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as xenophobic attacks in South Africa affecting nationals of ECOWAS member states.
Citing the bloc’s foundational principles, Afenyo-Markin stressed the need for accountability and stronger protective measures.
“A regional community that cannot protect its own citizens in transit has not yet earned its name,” he stated.
He referenced a February 14 attack in northern Burkina Faso, where militants linked to Al-Qaeda reportedly intercepted a truck conveying 18 Ghanaian tomato traders. According to him, the victims were separated and executed, while the vehicle was set ablaze.
“These were not statistics. They were breadwinners, fathers, and sons—the quiet engines of the regional supply chain that feeds our markets,” he said.
The lawmaker also cited an April 25 attack in Mali that reportedly claimed the life of the country’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, noting that the incident disrupted the Ghana–Mali trade corridor and heightened fears over cross-border travel.
He criticised the region’s inability to fully implement the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol adopted in 1979, pointing out that conflicting national policies continue to expose citizens to harassment and insecurity.
“The daily reality of our citizens contradicts the promise at every turn,” he added.
Beyond the sub-region, Afenyo-Markin drew attention to recent xenophobic attacks in parts of South Africa, including KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town and Pretoria, where several African migrants—among them Ghanaians, Nigerians, Zimbabweans and Ethiopians—were reportedly killed, displaced, or had their businesses looted.
While acknowledging recent remarks by South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, condemning xenophobia, the lawmaker insisted that stronger, more decisive actions were required.
“Words delivered from a ceremonial platform do not arrest a single perpetrator,” he said.
He urged the South African authorities to initiate immediate, transparent investigations and ensure the prosecution of those responsible.
The motion further called for formal communication to be sent to South Africa’s Parliament and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to facilitate broader institutional action on the crisis.
The ECOWAS Parliament’s decision underscores mounting regional concern over security challenges and the protection of citizens, as calls grow for more coordinated and effective responses across Africa.
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