[France24] West African coastal states on Thursday held talks on boosting cooperation against jihadist violence spilling over from the Sahel after more countries announced they would pull their peacekeepers out of Mali.Gulf of Guinea neighbours Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo are confronting increased risks from Islamic State group-allied and Al Qaeda militants waging war over their northern borders in the Sahel.
As part of the so-called Accra Initiative, representatives of coastal states, the European Union and others met in the Ghanaian capital for talks on security and intelligence cooperation.
Ghana's National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah said collaboration was needed as the threat from extremism is "more widespread than previously thought and transcending borders."
"The threat landscape has consistently changed," he said.
In the first quarter of 2022, Africa recorded 346 attacks, almost half of which were in the west of the continent, he said.
Launched in 2017, the Accra Initiative includes Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast as well as Burkina Faso. Mali and Niger have also since joined.
The Accra meeting, extending to next week, will also involve representatives from the EU and British government and the 15-member West African bloc ECOWAS.
A summit with regional heads of state is planned for November 22, where leaders will discuss security proposals, according to the Accra Initiative executive secretary.