President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered for the withdrawal of Nigeria troops from the United Nations Multi-dimensional Integ-rated Stabilisation Mission in Mali.
Ivorien President and chairman, Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, Alassane Ouattara confirmed this to journalists at the end of the 43rd Ordinary Session of ECOWAS in Abuja yesterday.
The withdrawal was being attributed to removal of Nigeria by UN as the Force Commander of the Mali mission, which has now been handed over to Rwanda.
But Ouattara denied this. "That is not the true reason," he said. "It is because of the domestic situation in Nigeria. I received a letter from President Goodluck Jonathan that because of domestic situation in Nigeria, Nigeria needs some of its people. They are not withdrawing all, it is just a part."
"We want to focus on economic integration for the welfare of the people. We have over 300 million people in west Africa that is why we want to hold a special summit in Senegal in October to decide on a Common External Tariff so that we have a true custom union like the European Union," he added.
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