ECOWAS parliament orders probe into rising terror attacks, xenophobic violence

Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The ECOWAS Parliament has ordered an investigation into the escalating wave of terrorism across West Africa, as well as recent xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants in South Africa.

The resolution was adopted during plenary at the First 2026 Ordinary Session of the regional parliament held on Tuesday in Abuja, following a motion raised by Ghanaian lawmaker and Third Deputy Speaker, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, on a matter he described as one of “urgent, direct and profound importance.”

The parliament subsequently mandated its Committee on Political Affairs to investigate recent terror incidents across the sub-region, particularly in Mali and Burkina Faso, alongside xenophobic violence in South Africa affecting citizens of ECOWAS member states.

Presenting the motion, Afenyo-Markin called for urgent accountability and stronger protections for West African nationals, citing growing concerns over their safety both within the sub-region and abroad.

“A regional community that cannot protect its own citizens in transit has not yet earned its name,” he said, invoking Rule 71 of the Parliament.

The lawmaker recalled the February 14 terrorist attack in northern Burkina Faso, where militants linked to Al-Qaeda reportedly intercepted a truck carrying 18 Ghanaian tomato traders. He said the attackers separated the men from the women before executing them and setting the vehicle ablaze with the driver inside.

“These were not statistics. They were breadwinners, fathers and sons — the quiet engines of the regional supply chain that feeds our markets,” he said.

Afenyo-Markin also referenced a separate attack in Mali on April 25, which he said claimed the life of Defence Minister Gen. Sadio Camara, adding that the incident disrupted the Ghana–Mali trade corridor and heightened fears over cross-border travel.

He criticised what he described as ECOWAS’ failure to fully implement the 1979 Free Movement Protocol, noting that conflicting national policies have continued to expose citizens to harassment at borders.

“The daily reality of our citizens contradicts the promise at every turn,” he added.

On xenophobic violence, the Ghanaian MP cited incidents in KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town, and Pretoria, where nationals from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia were reportedly killed, displaced, or had their businesses looted.

He noted that recent remarks by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemning xenophobia were insufficient without concrete enforcement measures.

“Words delivered from a ceremonial platform do not arrest a single perpetrator. The safety of our people must never be a matter open to devastation,” he said.

Afenyo-Markin urged the South African government to conduct immediate, thorough, and transparent investigations into the attacks and ensure perpetrators are prosecuted.

He further proposed that a formal communication be sent to the South African Parliament and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights for appropriate action.