Juliana Taiwo
15 June 2009
Abuja — Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, has been mandated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Chiefs of Defence, to lead a contact mission to mediate in the crisis in Guinea Bissau.
Rising from its 25th meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Dike,who is the current chairman of the body, was appointed to lead other members of the mission, which include Chiefs of Defence Staff of Benin, Cape Verde, The Gambia and Senegal.
Two high-profile political officials allegedly linked to Guinea-Bissau's recently assassinated president were killed June 5, according to a statement from the West African country's interim army chief. The killings raised fears that a military coup may be under way.
The military confirmed the killings of former Defence Minister, Helder Proenca with two of his bodyguards and presidential candidate Baciro Dabo, saying the men were killed because they were plotting a coup against the current government.
In a statement by the interim Army Chief, Zamora Induta, the military said several members of the ruling party had been arrested on allegations of taking part in the plot, which included a plan to assassinate the current prime minister and the interim president.
The mission is expected to help find practical solutions to the many political and security challenges that are threatening to plunge the country into lawlessness and deeper political instability.
In a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Col. Chris Jemitola, the Defence Chiefs meeting also discussed the security situation in Niger, Mali, Togo and Nigeria by the various countries' representatives.
He said the state of readiness of the ECOWAS Standby Force for the region was presented and reviewed as part of the African Standby Force for the Continent. "In this regard, a Logistics Military exercise named Exercise JIGIU 2009 was conducted. The exercise was designed to test the logistics capability of the ECOWAS Standby Force in responding to any security crisis in the region when called upon to do so".
A statement by the ECOWAS Secretariat said the Chiefs of Defence Staff also provisionally approved the proposed structure of the ECOWAS Standby Force Main Brigade.
They are expected to give their full endorsement at their next meeting which will take place in Freetown, Sierra Leone in the next quarter.
The new structure would help prepare the ESF for the planned continental exercise of the African Union to test he operational readiness of the African Standby Force early 2010.
The Chiefs of Defence Staff also agreed to lend support to the Military Network of West and Central Africa, which is being facilitated by UNAIDS, to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Armed Forces.
The decision to support the anti-AIDS campaign within the military was in acknowledgement of the vulnerability of military personnel, especially those involved in conflict situations, to HIV infection.
Along with ECOWAS Member States at the meeting were the Force Commanders of the United Nations Mission in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), the United Nations Office in West Africa (UNOWA), the Commander of the French Forces in Cape Verde (FFCV), the Defence Attaché of Angola and a representative of UNAIDS.
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This is what awaits the corrupt & heartless politicians in Nigeria. Ordinary folks have nothing to worry about the military juntas who are out to remedy the excesses of African civilian politicians. As Emperor Yar, today, turns the military guns on defenseless women and children in the Niger Delta, tomorrow, the same JTF will turn the same guns at him and his fellow looters in the NASS. Mark my words....the same way Shagari went, if he is lucky.
Poverty and lack of political awereness couple with self-fishness of the Bissau leadership is tearing apart what suspose to be a beautiful country. It is sadden to read about the mumerous irresponsible killings of people by the militry in the name of whatever they are claiming to protect/defend. Nino's return to Bissau was a big mistake and Bissua and its people will continue to pay the price for sometime, if the security council did not intervein to protect its citizen and if possible to disarm its bandits they call militry personals.
Violence has never solved African problems but at times it is necessary to show those that hang on to power and their associates that the people not fools.There comes a time when people get fed up with politics and require basic needs of survival.Just because the President died and you switched ships does not make you a saint.You were eating the same bread with the President and now join him at the same banquet.Good riddance!!!!!!The laws of the Serengeti have balanced the scales of Mother Nature.
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