Abuja - Nigeria — The ECOWAS Committee of the Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDS) will hold its first quarterly statutory meeting for 2011 from 18th to 20th January in Bamako, Mali to review the security situation in the region.

The situation in Cote d'Ivoire is expected to form a major part of the meeting, which will also have in attendance the Force Commanders of UN missions in Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia.

The Chiefs of Defence Staff will also review the planning update on a proposed mission to Cote d'Ivoire which they began during an extra-ordinary meeting held in Abuja on 28th and 29th December 2010. That session was in compliance with a directive by ECOWAS Heads of State and Government for a road map to enable it implement its decision to "use of legitimate force", to achieve the aspirations of the Ivorian people, should Mr. Laurent Gbagbo disregard the demand of regional leaders to hand over power to Mr. Alassane Ouattara, considered the winner of the rerun presidential election in Cote d'Ivoire.

The directive of the extra-ordinary summit was for the convening of a meeting of the Committee of Chiefs of Defense Staff to plan future actions, including the provision of security along the Côte d'Ivoire-Liberia border, in the event that their message was not heeded. During the Bamako meeting, the Chiefs of Defence Staff will also partake in the festivities marking the 50th anniversary of the Malian Armed Forces.