Militant activity from extremist groups linked to "Islamic State" and al-Qaida has rocked countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso in recent years.
The European Union is set to launch a new mission in West Africa in the fall, a combined military-civilian operation aimed to prevent instability triggered by jihadi groups.
EU foreign ministers will announce the start of the "civil-military" mission at a meeting in Luxembourg in October, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper has learned.
DW reports that the mission in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa will be with police and soldiers deployed to Ghana, Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast. The governments of Benin and Ghana have already sent formal invitations.
Senior EU diplomats who are familiar with the planning told the German paper that the mission stems from "concerns of the EU that jihadist groups could extend their activities in Western Africa from the Sahel region to the southern coastal countries off the Gulf of Guinea."
According to the paper, the mission will aim to train and advise local security forces, help prepare for anti-terror operations, give technical support and implement confidence-building measures in the security sector.
The report further noted that the reason behind the planned mission is the EU's concern that Islamist groups "could extend their activities in West Africa from the Sahel zone toward the southern coastal countries on the Gulf of Guinea, leading to even more widespread instability in the region," Welt am Sonntag reported.
Militant activity from extremist groups linked to "Islamic State" and al-Qaida has rocked countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso in recent years.
The EU also wants to counter Russian influence in the region which has been spread through Wagner mercenaries who have supported military regimes in the Sahel.
The situation was further complicated for the EU after Mali kicked out French and German forces that had been training Malian soldiers and police.
However, the report comes as several countries in the region have fallen under military governments following coups, the latest being on July 26 in Niger.
Military juntas have also taken power in Mali and Burkina Faso.