Introduction
As the world continues to evolve into an increasingly interconnected entity, regional unity, or the bonding of people through ethnic ties, cultural connections, and historical relationships, carries with it a sense of strength and solidarity (Parekh, 2005). Yet, the same bonds fostering cooperation and a sense of communal belonging can be fruitfully exploited to create vulnerabilities. In fact, the very oneness that has historically unified regions can, under particular circumstances, become a weakness—particularly when security is involved. This unity paradox is not new in African thought. Walter Rodney (1972) interrogated these deeply entrenched systems of solidarity that pre-colonial African societies had in his book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. For example, he demonstrated just how well the clan system was organized among Africans, particularly the Akan, who come from today’s Ghana. A man from Brong, for example, would find himself taking a trip to Fante country, hundreds of miles away, knowing that he would have food and shelter solely because they happened to belong to the same clan. Such a support structure, socially undergirded by kinship and shared identity, strengthened social cohesion that exceeded any boundaries of geography.
Rodney’s insights reflect the broader view that, traditionally, African societies depended on communal principles to a large extent, especially regarding land, labour, and the distribution of goods (Austin, 2010). These systems, premised on family and clan loyalty, made the solid foundation of communal life in which individual well-being was secured through that of the community as a whole. As Nkrumah stipulated in his work Consciencism, this communalism was the bedrock of African development, underlining the collective responsibility and interdependence of individuals within a community. Nkrumah (1974) held the very strong view that attaining African unity was the only hope for independence and social justice, a vision continued today within regional cooperation like the African Union and ECOWAS.
The recent two-day high-level security conference held on November 7 and November 8, 2024, at the Lancaster Hotel in Accra, Ghana, brought together security and intelligence experts from 10 African countries to explore the growing security challenges in West Africa. Organised by the Centre for Intelligence and Security Analysis (CISA Ghana), the conference aimed to unpack the issue of security contagion—the idea that instability in one country spreads rapidly across borders, destabilising entire regions. The discussions revealed an uncomfortable truth: while the region’s shared identity and interconnectedness could be sources of strength, they may also be contributing to its security vulnerabilities.
For decades, West African countries have prided themselves on shared cultural, ethnic, and historical ties that bind them together. From cross-border tribal connections to economic collaborations under frameworks like ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States), there’s an undeniable sense of regional unity. However, as the conference highlighted, this oneness, while a powerful symbol of solidarity, may also expose the region to the very real risk of security contagion.
The Cost of Regional Unity
In the past, security threats in the region were almost thought of as being confined to the boundaries of one country (Attinà, 2016). Now, with the interconnectivity in place within the West African nations, it has become clear that what begins as a localized conflict in one country can rapidly spill over into neighbouring borders and, at times, even entire nations—a concept known as security contagion. Security contagion is further exacerbated by ethnic and tribal ties across borders and religious ties. These very ties have been manipulated by insurgent groups and armed factions to prolong conflicts across many countries.
The porous borders in West Africa, combined with the grievances accumulated from ethnic and resource-based issues, have helped create the ferment for the explosion of violence. For instance, multi-country ethnicities often harbour and nurture insurgents across borders, thereby creating trans-border nurseries for conflicts. This was stressed by one of the experts:
“Both sides of the border are made up of similar tribes and kinsmen and are often linked by marriages, so when they commit a crime in the home country, they escape to the other side, and they are accommodated by their kinsmen on the other side, which serves as a breeding ground for insurgency on the other side.”
This interrelatedness, which once served as a sign of solidarity, is now a weakness as insurgents exploit such ties to recruit fighters, easily crossing borders and creating instability in regions with very limited resistance.
The Role of Youth and Extremism
Another critical debate that came out of this conference was the role that youth—in large part, disenfranchised—are playing in driving the contagion of insecurity. Many of the insurgent groups currently destabilising West Africa draw heavily from pools of unemployed youth. Such groups offer a sense of purpose, identity, and financial reward to those who often feel excluded from economic opportunities and political power. Participants cited that these youths, often recruited based on their common ethnic or religious identity, easily become manipulated to fight causes even beyond national boundaries. As one expert explained, “These youths are not just fighting for local issues; they’re fighting for a regional cause—one that’s often oiled by ethnic or religious division.” Religion and ethnicity are frequently used to mobilise people, meaning many of these young fighters tend to view themselves as part of an expansive struggle that might link them with insurgents across borders, thus making the conflict transnational in scope. This regional mobilisation of insurgents, coupled with porous, weak borders, means that conflicts often spill over from one country to another, drawing in entire neighbourhoods and eventually entire regions. Instead of countries acting in isolation, security threats are now regional in scope, with one destabilising event setting off a chain reaction.
Weak Borders and the Spread of Violence
The conference also discussed how weak borders—combined with historical grievances—are major drivers of insecurity in West Africa. The main source of conflict was identified as tensions between farmers and herders, particularly over land and water resources. Often, such disputes begin locally, but they can easily spread to neighbouring countries where similar ethnic groups or resource issues may exist.
Border areas are most susceptible to this type of security contagion. Many communities along the borders share a common language, tradition, and familial linkages, yet these can also provide an avenue for insurgents to exploit. As one participant aptly put it, “In these porous zones, there’s no such thing as an isolated conflict. What starts on one side of the border can quickly infect the other.”
Is Unity Our Strength, or Our Weakness?
So, does our regional unity make us weak and vulnerable? The conference’s discussions suggested that the answer is both yes and no. On one hand, the deep cultural, ethnic, and historical ties that bind the countries of West Africa are a powerful source of solidarity. These bonds enable cooperation, trade, and a sense of shared destiny that have allowed the region to weather many challenges. However, these same connections, particularly when exploited by insurgent groups, can quickly become sources of insecurity. When violence and instability in one country spread to others, it creates a cycle of regional insecurity. As one speaker remarked, “We have created a situation where our oneness can be a double-edged sword. Our bonds are both a source of strength and a vulnerability that extremists can exploit.”
Breaking the Cycle: A Call for Stronger Regional Cooperation
The conference, therefore, passed a resolution aimed at increasing regional cooperation and a new commitment to deal with the roots of insecurity. It argued that building trust among nations, strengthening border security, and creating more robust mechanisms for the resolution of conflicts would help contain the contagion of violence.
At the heart of this recommendation was reliance on the Ubuntu philosophy: an African way of life that underlines interdependence and responsibility for one another. Ubuntu says, “I am because we are,” implying that one community’s well-being depends on another’s. This sense of shared responsibility and interdependence could take the region from a realm where each nation exists in isolation to one that is more integrated and resilient.
Conclusion: Can We Turn Our Oneness into Strength?
With insecurity mounting across Africa, unity could be more a source of strength rather than vulnerability. The answer depends on how the region marshals the shared identity and resources. The bottom line is that these ethnic and cultural links need not be liabilities that insurgent groups can easily manipulate; rather, they require Africa to develop stronger, more collaborative regional frameworks that can better turn these ties into peace-enhancing assets. Essentially, this is a case of how the oneness of the region can be the driving force for collective action, not a fault line that insurgents can exploit. If Africa can redefine its unity—putting collaboration above division—the region may yet turn its interdependence into an advantage that will insulate it against the contagion of insecurity and set it on the path toward stability and prosperity.
Reference
Attinà, F. (2016). Traditional Security Issues. China, the European Union, and the International Politics of Global Governance, 175-193. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137514004_10
Austin, G. (2010). African Economic Development and Colonial Legacies. Revue Internationale De Politique De Développement, (1), 11-32. https://doi.org/10.4000/poldev.78
Nkrumah, K. (1970). Consciencism. NYU Press.
Parekh, B. (2005). Unity and Diversity in Multicultural Societies. International Institute for Labour Studies.
Rodney, W. (1972). How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. Verso Books.
