
ECOWAS Defence Chiefs Convenes in Abuja
- Esther
- Aug 7, 2024
- 1 min read
The Chiefs of Defence Staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Wednesday meet at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
The meeting, chaired by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, aimed to address pressing security issues within the region.
High-profile attendees included Nigeria's Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar, and Chairman of Senate Committee on Defence, Ahmed Lawan.
Notably absent were representatives from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, countries currently grappling with political instability.
The agenda focused on enhancing regional security cooperation and tackling emerging threats to stability in West Africa.
Key topics discussed included the current security situation in the Sahel region, the fight against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups, maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, and the role of ECOWAS in peacekeeping operations.
This high-level meeting signified the bloc's commitment to promoting peace and security, despite challenges such as terrorism, piracy, political instability, and drug trafficking.
In a related development, West African defense chiefs recently proposed a $2.6 billion plan to deploy a 5,000-strong "standby force" to combat the region’s worsening security crises.
However, analysts have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of this plan due to funding challenges and divisions within the regional bloc.
Omar Alieu Touray, president of the ECOWAS Commission, emphasized the pivotal moment in the community's history to address insecurity and urged member-states to support the force. The proposals are expected to be considered at an upcoming summit of regional heads of state.
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