The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has voiced strong opposition to the U.S. plan to conduct airstrikes targeting terrorist groups in Africa, arguing that history shows foreign military interventions often worsen conflicts rather than resolve them.
In a recent statement released in Ilorin, Executive Director Abdulrazaq Hamzat expressed deep concern over the impact of such actions, emphasizing that Africa’s security challenges must be tackled by Africans using homegrown solutions—not by external forces bombing our soil.
Hamhzat pointed to past U.S. and Western military operations in countries like Libya, Somalia, and throughout the Sahel as clear examples of interventions that, despite well-meaning intentions, ended up causing more harm than good. He recalled how the NATO-led intervention, backed by the U.S., toppled Muammar Gaddafi in Libya but ultimately plunged the country into chaos, civil war, and a dangerous breeding ground for terrorist groups such as ISIS. He also noted that, even after years of drone strikes and other measures, groups like Al-Shabaab continue to terrorize Somalia and Kenya, while the presence of foreign forces in the Sahel has fueled anti-Western sentiment and even contributed to military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Instead of more airstrikes, PeacePro is calling for a stronger role for African institutions like the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS to develop sustainable, locally-driven security strategies. Hamzat stressed the importance of building robust local intelligence networks, improving counterterrorism cooperation between African nations, and addressing the root causes of terrorism—including poverty, poor governance, and radicalization. He also highlighted successful regional initiatives such as the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which has played a crucial role in weakening Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.
Moreover, Hamzat warned African governments against allowing their territories to serve as staging grounds for foreign military operations, arguing that such practices undermine national sovereignty and hinder African countries from taking full control of their own security. He urged both African leaders and the U.S. to shift away from militarized solutions and instead focus on diplomatic, intelligence-based, and economic approaches that truly address the continent’s challenges.
In essence, PeacePro’s message is clear: Africa must rely on its own strength and ingenuity to secure its future, and the era of external military interventions that only deepen instability must come to an end.
