ECOWAS Member States Urged to Rise Up to Regional Security Challenges

15 February 2012
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Economic Community of West African States (Abuja)
press release

Abuja - Nigeria — The Chairman of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, Nigeria's Foreign Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru has called on Member States to close ranks in dealing with the heightened security concerns confronting the region, including terrorism, piracy and the fallout of the Arab Spring in North Africa.

Opening the 29th meeting of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council being held at ministerial level, on Wednesday, 15th February 2012 at the ECOWAS Commission's Abuja Headquarters, the Minister said the impact of the political upheavals in the Arab world particularly in Libya, has compounded the security and humanitarian situation in parts of the ECOWAS Region, especially Mali and Niger.

"The onus, therefore, rests on this Council to come up with necessary recommendations to address these challenges with the context of the Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security. The present session of the Council, which comprises Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Member States is considering the memoranda on the security and humanitarian situations in the Sahel-Sahara region of Mali and Niger and the regional response to piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

It is also considering the status of implementation of the roadmap on Security Sector Reform (SSR) in Guinea Bissau for which ECOWAS leaders have already authorized the release of 63 million US dollars as the region's contribution to the process. Ambassador Ashiru stressed the need for ECOWAS Member States to strengthen border controls to curtail the inflow of small arms which has exacerbated the security situation in the region, drug trafficking and terrorist infiltration.

"We must all collectively work together to defeat terrorism within our sub- region so that we can better face the daunting tasks of economic development and migration, for the advantage of our peoples," he affirmed. He reiterated the avowed commitment of the ECOWAS current Chairman and Nigeria's President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the region, through his continued mediation of political crises in Member States.

In his statement, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency James Victor Gbeho, urged the Council members to reflect and take practical steps towards consolidating sustainable development, democracy, peace and stability in West Africa. While congratulating President Jonathan for his quality leadership, support and encouragement, he recalled that the mandate from the Council of Ministers endorsed by the ECOWAS Heads of State in March 2011, enjoins the Commission not only to initiate action on the SSR but also to lead the process.

To this end, President assured that the Commission shall continue to mobilize, in addition to its own contribution, the financial resources needed to ensure the full implementation of the Defence and Security Sector Reform (DSSR) in Guinea Bissau. With respect to the increasing threat of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and its cross-border implications, he stressed the need for ECOWAS to draft a holistic maritime strategy to deal with regional threat posed by this phenomenon. UN Security Council Resolution 2018 mandates ECOWAS to provide political leadership and coordinate all efforts in maritime related issues and build its own capacity. The same Resolution also urges ECOWAS to work in collaboration with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and all other relevant stakeholders in this regard.

On the whole, President Gbeho said there were positive indications that the challenges to peace and security in other parts of the region were gradually being reduced, noting that the consolidation of democracy through fair and transparent elections in Nigeria, Liberia, Niger, Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea is an added impetus to the process of assisting the region in realizing the vision of the ECOWAS founding fathers.

The Ministers will also be briefed on the recent electoral process in the Gambia as well as upcoming elections to be held in 2012 in Senegal, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Guinea Bissau.

Read the original article on Ecowas.

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