The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has issued a strong appeal to the international community to support countries in the region in their ongoing fight against terrorism, while dismissing what it described as “false and dangerous” claims of religious genocide.
In a communiqué released on November 4, 2025, from its headquarters in Abuja, ECOWAS expressed deep concern over the growing wave of terrorist attacks across parts of West Africa, including Nigeria. The regional bloc condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians by extremist groups and reaffirmed that victims of such attacks come from all religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds.
According to ECOWAS, independent reports over the years have confirmed that terrorist violence in the region does not discriminate on the basis of religion, ethnicity, gender, or age. The organization therefore urged global partners and the United Nations to “treat as false any claims that these terrorist groups target one group, or that there is a genocide of one religious group in the region.”
The statement warned that such divisive narratives threaten to deepen insecurity and erode social cohesion in already fragile communities. ECOWAS stressed the need for collective global action to help member states contain the spread of extremist violence and restore peace across the region.
“ECOWAS calls on the whole world to stand by the countries in the region in their fight against terrorism that targets all communities,” the communiqué concluded.
