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Over 1,000 Insurgency Groups Threaten Africa, Leaders Meet in Abuja

Abuja, Nigeria — Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged African nations to move beyond being mere consumers of technology and become creators and innovators in defence and security systems. He made this call on Monday at the opening of the three-day African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja, themed “Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional and Security in Africa: The Role of Strategic Defence Collaboration.”

The summit, holding at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre from 25 to 27 August 2025, brings together defence chiefs from all 54 African countries to address rising security challenges on the continent.

Shettima Calls for Cyber Defence and Unity

Shettima warned that Africa’s greatest threats are increasingly “asymmetric, digital, and invisible,” urging governments to invest in cyber defence, intelligence-sharing, and innovative military technologies. He stressed the need for strong collaboration between governments and the private sector to secure the continent’s future.

“The future of Africa depends on the choices we make today. Let us rise above division and embrace cooperation. Let us imagine and build an Africa where peace is the norm, not the exception,” the Vice President said.

He also emphasised that unity must be the cornerstone of Africa’s security architecture, urging countries to strengthen joint training, harmonise doctrines, and develop interoperable defence systems.

Nigeria Pledges Regional Support

Shettima reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to remain “a good neighbour and brother’s keeper” in peacekeeping, counterterrorism operations, and humanitarian interventions across Africa.

“Security is the foundation upon which peace and progress must stand. This summit must deepen our covenant of cooperation,” he said.

Over 1,000 Insurgency Groups Active in Africa

Former Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, raised alarm that more than 1,000 insurgency groups are currently active across Africa. He warned that the numbers continue to rise, with the Sahel region emerging as the epicentre of terrorism, accounting for over 51% of global terrorism deaths in 2024, according to the Global Terrorism Index.

“We must strengthen our defence industries and own our technologies to reduce dependence on external powers,” Gambari stressed, urging leaders to adopt the vision of Ghana’s late President Kwame Nkrumah for a united continental defence system.

Defence Chiefs Stress Joint Strategy

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, said insurgents do not respect territorial boundaries, making regional cooperation vital.

“We must work as a team, as neighbours, to deal with these threats. Each regional bloc faces unique security challenges, and this summit allows us to share ideas that work,” Musa said.

He added that the summit will produce strategies for shared intelligence, continental defence cooperation, and coordinated counter-terrorism operations.

Unfinished Agenda of “Silencing the Guns”

Despite the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its commitment to “silencing the guns” by 2020—now shifted to 2030—conflicts continue to rage in Sudan, South Sudan, the Sahel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and parts of Southern Africa.

Gambari reminded leaders that while ECOWAS once made gains with its Ecomog peacekeeping mission, the continent still struggles to operationalise the AU Standby Force, which was envisioned as a continental rapid-response mechanism since 2015.

Why It Matters

The Abuja summit comes at a critical time, as Africa battles terrorism, piracy, cybercrime, and transnational criminal networks. Leaders hope that by forging stronger defence collaboration and investing in indigenous security technologies, the continent can chart a path toward peace, stability, and sustainable development.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna