In a significant step toward regional stability, five West African countries have endorsed a landmark declaration on national security and refugee protection.

Signed in Lomé, the agreement brings together Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Burkina Faso in a unified effort to address terrorism and the growing humanitarian crisis in the region.

The declaration seeks to balance the urgent need for national security with the protection of displaced populations, many of whom are fleeing extremist violence.

The pact reflects a growing consensus among coastal and Sahelian states that refugee protection and security must go hand in hand in tackling West Africa’s complex crises.