Monrovia, Liberia – Joseph N. Boakai has emphasised that the recent events in Niger are a “rude awakening” for West Africa, stressing the essential need for concerted regional action against increasing terrorism, transnational crime, and insecurity.
Speaking at the High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security in Accra on January 30, 2026, President Boakai stated that “Liberia is not safe if an inch of Ghana is in terror” and that no nation in the area can stay safe if its neighbours are unstable.
Q The Liberian leader called the situation in Niger a sobering reminder of the reality facing the subregion and reaffirmed the importance of the high-level security consultations.
However, he expressed sympathy to the people of Niger and thanked Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama for organising the summit at what he called a “critical moment” of spreading global disorder. Drawing on Liberia’s own history of civil conflict, President Boakai said the country understands the destructive cost of war and instability.
“We lived it, we experienced it, and we continue to bear the scars, stressing Liberia’s commitment to preventing violent conflicts at national, regional and international levels,” he added.
Also, the Liberian leader warned that once conflicts erupt, they recognize no borders and leave nations destroyed and development stalled. Speaking, Boakai outlined a wide range of threats confronting the region, including terrorism, violent extremism, governance deficits, transnational and maritime crime, cybercrime, climate-driven resource conflicts, illicit mining, arms proliferation, human trafficking, illicit financial flows, drug abuse, unemployment and social injustice.
He warned that as borders become “increasingly non-existent,” new security vulnerabilities, particularly cybercrime, demand immediate action, and non-state actors who thrive on chaos and lawlessness are posing an increasing danger to state authority.
Boakai pointed out that global polarization and dwindling cooperation are fueling economic hardship, unemployment, insecurity, and poverty, especially in smaller and vulnerable states. In light of this, he called for greater regional solidarity and the embrace of collective security.
As a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Boakai said Liberia is prioritizing a regional approach to peacebuilding and security, arguing that international responses should not focus only on crisis epicenters but also involve neighboring countries to dismantle support networks across borders.
He commended the result document created by intelligence chiefs and ministers of foreign affairs and national security at the summit, and underlined Liberia’s readiness to collaborate with other heads of state to execute its recommendations.
