The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is taking proactive measures to address the rising threat of terrorism in West Africa. The regional economic bloc recently expressed concerns about the escalating terrorism in the Sahel region and unveiled plans to establish a standby force.
During a meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, ECOWAS Commissioner Abdel-Fatau Musah announced the initiative to raise $2.4 billion for the establishment of the standby force. Musah highlighted the urgent need for collective action, emphasizing the devastating impact of terrorism on member states.
While acknowledging Nigeria's success in degrading the Boko Haram terrorist group, Musah stressed the importance of a unified approach to combat terrorism across the region. He underscored the need for counter-terrorism forces capable of confronting terrorist threats swiftly and effectively.
The meeting, attended by representatives from designated ECOWAS Training Centres of Excellence, aimed to enhance training, capacity building, and research efforts to strengthen the ECOWAS Standby Force. However, Mali's absence from the meeting raised questions amid its recent decision, along with Niger and Burkina Faso, to withdraw from the ECOWAS community.
Musah revealed that the ECOWAS Heads of States had approved the mobilization of $2.4 billion to support the operation of the standby force. Member states were directed to contribute $1 billion in the first year, with further discussions scheduled among Ministers of Defence and Finance to finalize funding modalities.
Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu, Commandant of the National Defence College, emphasized the significance of collaboration and knowledge exchange in advancing the counter-terrorism campaign. He encouraged participants to leverage the opportunity to exchange ideas and strengthen efforts to combat terrorism in West Africa.
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