Buratai seeks African-led approach to tackle terrorism, insurgency
Former Nigerian army chief Tukur Buratai has called for an African-led security strategy to combat terrorism and insurgency across the continent. He emphasized the need for regional intelligence sharing and indigenous capabilities to address threats in the Sahel and beyond.
Why it matters
As the Sahel becomes a global epicenter for terrorism, the shift toward regional security autonomy is a critical geopolitical development for African stability.
Tukur Buratai, former chief of army staff, has urged African countries to take greater responsibility for addressing the continent’s worsening security challenges, saying external interventions alone can no longer guarantee peace.
Speaking on Friday while delivering the keynote address, titled ‘Africa’s Priority Security Threats’, at the 32nd Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Buratai said Africa is confronted by five major threats — terrorism and violent extremism, transnational organised crime, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, governance-related instability, and the erosion of sovereignty through external dependence.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, the retired general said African countries must strengthen regional cooperation, intelligence sharing and indigenous security capabilities to tackle the evolving threats.
Buratai described the Sahel as the global epicentre of terrorism, noting that the region accounts for nearly half of terror-related deaths worldwide.
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