Africa Must Deepen Security Cooperation to Tackle Terrorism, Crime, Gambian President, Nigeria COAS, IGP Charge

A strong call for enhanced regional cooperation has emerged from African leaders and security chiefs, who warn that terrorism, organized crime, cybercrime, and violent extremism pose escalating threats that individual nations cannot tackle alone. The urgency was palpable at the 19th Africa Security Watch Conference and Awards in The Gambia, where key figures stressed the need for coordinated responses to Africa's evolving security landscape.

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The security of one African state is inseparable from the security of all.

The Gambian President, Adama Barrow, represented by Minister of Interior Abdoulie Sanyang, highlighted the interconnected nature of these threats, noting the Sahel's emergence as a global terrorism epicenter. Sanyang identified terrorism, transnational organized crime, irregular migration, cybercrime, maritime insecurity, climate-induced conflicts, and youth unemployment as major challenges requiring a unified approach. He emphasized that The Gambia has been modernizing its security institutions since 2017 through integrated border management, digitalization, community policing, and stronger legal frameworks, underscoring that "the security of one African state is inseparable from the security of all."

Representing the Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Major General TE Gagariga, stressed the importance of cross-border collaboration among security agencies, regardless of political shifts. Drawing from Nigeria's counter-insurgency experience, he emphasized that community engagement and winning the "hearts and minds of the populace" are vital. Gagariga asserted that "insecurity has no borders" and that security cooperation must transcend political differences.

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If you do not have that one-on-one with the community, and you do not give them that trust where you can win the hearts and minds of the populace, you are fighting in vain.

Experts like Prof Thean Potgieter of Stellenbosch University also contributed, emphasizing that Africa's security threats demand coordinated responses built on stronger institutions, technology, professionalism, and public trust. The consensus is clear: a fragmented approach is insufficient. African nations must deepen intelligence sharing, joint operations, cybersecurity cooperation, border management, and legal harmonization, all while ensuring security operations uphold human rights and the rule of law.

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Insecurity has no borders.