Abuja - Nigeria — The ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council which ended its two-day meeting to review the political and security situation in West Africa on Tuesday, 8th June 2010 in Abuja has expressed satisfaction with the progress being made to restore democracy in some Member States, particularly Guinea and Niger, which experienced some reversals in their democratization processes. Elections are scheduled to be held this month in Guinea while in Niger, a 12- month transition time-table was been recently released by the ruling military junta.
The Council which is composed of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Member States called on the transition government of General Sékouba Konaté to release the outstanding balance of its contribution to the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). While urging the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Political Affairs (MATAP) to provide its support to the electoral commission, the Council called on the Guinean Government, particularly the Ministry of Security, to work in collaboration with the CENI in order to enable the electoral security forces (FOSSEPEL) to effectively play their role in support of the CENI. The Council also urged the National Transitional Council, the government and all institutions to lend the support of their resources to the success of the presidential election. In addition, it called on political party leaders to comply with, and ensure compliance with, the agreed Code of Conduct as well as sensitize their militants and supporters in order to prevent the derailment of the electoral campaign.
On Niger, the Ministers expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by the Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD) and other stakeholders to return the country to constitutional rule since the 18th February 2010 coup, particularly the establishment of transitional institutions and the drawing up of a time-table for the transition. They encouraged members of the CSRD to continue to fulfill their commitments to ensure that by 1st March 2011, a democratically elected government would lead the country after the elections. Also, the ministers recommended that ECOWAS should continue its support to the initiatives resulting from the roadmap in order to create the enabling environment for consensual transition, especially the reformulation and continuation of the missions of the ECOWAS Mediator, retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar, in collaboration with the African Union Mediator.
They further appealed to ECOWAS Member States and the International Community to provide assistance to Niger to meet the challenge of the famine being experienced in that country. The ministers who also considered the security situation in Cote d'Ivoire, urged President Laurent Gbagbo to continue his efforts with all stakeholders of the Ivorian political community in order to set a final date for the presidential elections scheduled before the end of 2010, in conformity with his commitments. They called on the Independent National Electoral Commission and other institutions supporting the electoral process to take all necessary measures to resolve the dispute relating to the identification of voters and establish a reliable and consensual voters' register. While appealing to all Ivorian stakeholders to refrain from any acts that may jeopardize the fragile process, the ministers charged them to redouble their efforts to ensure that the electoral process culminates in the holding of election before end of 2010.
On Guinea Bissau, the Mediation and Security Council expressed grave concern about the rapidly deteriorating political and security situation, characterized by the persistent undermining of the political authorities, gross acts of impunity and indiscipline in the hierarchy of the armed forces, the extreme fragility of governance institutions and worsening drug trafficking. Members of the Council therefore recommended to ECOWAS Heads of State the dispatch of high-level missions of ECOWAS-African Union-United Nations and the Committee of ECOWAS Chiefs of Defense Staff to Guinea Bissau to reaffirm solidarity with the democratically-elected authorities. They mandated the ECOWAS Commission to organize a meeting of Chiefs of Army Staff to define and agree on practical arrangements for the effective commencement of the restructuring exercise of the armed forces and the adequate support mechanisms. The Council called on the military hierarchy in Guinea Bissau to demonstrate their commitment to republican values in their acts and submit themselves to the control of the political authorities, warning that acts of impunity and indiscipline would no longer be tolerated.
The Council appealed to the International Community to participate in the resource mobilization meeting for the Pension and Reintegration Fund that the United Nations is planning to organize with the Government of Guinea Bissau in New York at a soon-to-determined date. Concerning drug trafficking, the Council tasked the ECOWAS Commission to scale up its efforts to build its institutional capacity and begin the immediate implementation of the Praia Plan of Action on Drug Trafficking in cooperation with the African Union, the UNODC, the European Union and other partners. Members of the Council, who also considered issues relating to the ECOWAS logistics depot, directed the ECOWAS Commission to take all required administrative and financial measures to speed up the construction of the regional logistics facilities at Lungi, near Freetown. The land for the depot was offered December 2009 by the Government of Sierra Leone.
The Council also endorsed the report of the ECOWAS Ministers of Defense and Security on the ?Adoption of the Regional Plan of Action, the Five-year Programme of Activities and the Request for Exemption Form relating to the Implementation of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and other Related Materials. It appealed to Member States that are yet to ratify the Convention to do so and deposit the ratification instruments with the ECOWAS Commission. Furthermore, it urged Member States to assume all responsibilities with regard to the entry into force of the Convention, notably putting in place National Commissions for coordination of government actions and making adequate budgetary provisions for the national commissions. Members of the Council agreed, among others, that the ECOWAS Commission should extend the mandate of the ECOWAS Small Arms Programme (ECOSAP) and review its financing in order to cover the five years of implementation of the programme of activities at the regional level.
