President Julius Maada Bio Proposes ECOWAS–UN–AU Joint Compact for Peace and Resilience in the Sahel

President Bio urges the UN Security Council to support an ECOWAS–UN–AU Compact to address terrorism and instability in the Sahel.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, November 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, presiding over a high-level United Nations Security Council briefing on peace consolidation in West Africa, called for the establishment of a joint ECOWAS–UN–African Union Compact for Peace and Resilience in the Sahel. The proposal, unveiled on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, at the UN Headquarters in New York, aims to create a coordinated, properly funded, and results-driven approach to addressing escalating insecurity across the Sahel and West Africa.

President Bio convened the meeting in his dual capacity as President of Sierra Leone and Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, emphasizing the urgent need for a unified global response to what he described as “the epicenter of global terrorism.” He warned that instability in the region, driven by extremist groups affiliated with ISIS and Al-Qaeda, poses a direct threat to international peace and security.

“Maintaining international peace and security is a collective responsibility,” President Bio said, expressing regret over the global silence that has accompanied the deterioration in the Sahel. He noted that despite the courage of the affected states, “the threat of terrorism and violent extremism continues to outpace our collective response,” stressing the need to strengthen multilateral cooperation.

The proposed Compact seeks to align security efforts, governance reforms, and humanitarian action under a single coordinated framework, leveraging the mandates of existing UN resolutions and the operational capacities of ECOWAS and the African Union. President Bio emphasized that predictable financing, particularly under Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023), is essential for supporting African-led peace operations and activating the region’s standby force.

Addressing representatives of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger who attended the briefing, President Bio highlighted the importance of dialogue and reintegration, clarifying that West African security “cannot be built on exclusion.” He urged the Security Council to help rebuild trust across the region, including between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States, through cooperative mechanisms such as joint platforms and real-time coordination supported by UN entities.

Referring to the humanitarian toll of the conflict — rising numbers of displaced persons, collapsing livelihoods, and growing public frustration — President Bio called for expanded humanitarian assistance linked to long-term economic recovery. He stressed that peace in Africa “is not a favor to be granted but a foundation of global stability.”

At the conclusion of his remarks, President Bio addressed the Council and the international community: “The people of West Africa and the Sahel do not ask for pity; they ask for partnership.” He called on global leaders to act decisively and collaboratively, warning that without swift intervention, the Sahel could become a permanent sanctuary for extremist networks “just hours from major global cities.”

President Bio has also enlisted top human-rights and international-law experts, as well as leading strategists essential for such a sensitive and important mission, including Maitre J. Alex Buchinger, who has decades of experience in the field; and the internal legal advisor, Maeghann Alizee Snaty.

The President of Sierra Leone has been working intensively on this critical issue and has elevated it to the top of his national and international agenda, including during his official visits to Cyprus and the United States.

To achieve this vital objective, the President has launched a massive diplomatic campaign, leveraging influential connections around the world. This effort follows extensive work aimed at improving Sierra Leone’s economic future, employment opportunities, and healthcare system.

Peter Beckley
State House Media and Communications Unit
info@statehouse.gov.sl

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