The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has urged the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOWAS) to reject foreign military intervention and develop indigenous security strategies.
It urged the Federal Government and other African leaders to prioritise diplomatic, intelligence-driven and economic approaches over militarised solutions.
Executive Director of PeacePro, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, who opposed the United States’ plan to conduct airstrikes against terrorist targets across Africa, warned that foreign military interventions have historically escalated conflicts rather than resolved them.
Hamzat’s position followed a statement by Gen. James Hecker, Commander of U.S. Air Forces, Europe and Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA), who announced during the 2025 African Air Chiefs’ Symposium (AACS) in Lusaka, Zambia, that the U.S. military would continue targeting terrorist groups like ISIS in Africa.
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Hamzat, who has been championing the demilitarisation of Africa, maintained that foreign airstrikes have a history of causing civilian casualties, destabilisation, and increasing terrorist recruitment rather than eliminating threats.
He said: “While we acknowledge the security challenges facing Africa, we firmly oppose the militarisation of our continent by foreign powers. The U.S. military’s interventions in Libya, Somalia, the Sahel and other regions have shown that airstrikes and external military actions often escalate conflicts, lead to civilian casualties and create long-term instability. Africa’s security challenges must be addressed through African-led solutions, not foreign bombings.”