By Ed Malik, A | ed@ddnewsonline.com |
posted August 08, 2024
The 42nd Ordinary Meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff is currently taking place at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in Abuja. This three-day strategic meeting brings together Chiefs of Defence Staff from ECOWAS member states to address the multifaceted security challenges facing the West African sub-region.
The meeting, which is chaired by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who also serves as the chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff, is a regional platform for Defence Chiefs in the sub-region to review trans-border security challenges faced by member states.
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In his opening remarks, General Musa emphasized the recent disruptions to democratic governance in some member states, calling for enhanced collaboration and intelligence sharing among ECOWAS countries to combat security threats such as terrorism, insurgency, and other trans-border crimes. He also underscored the importance of the military adhering to its constitutional role in supporting democracy.
He said: “Recent challenges like the military coups d’etat in some countries in the region have had unintended consequences and have threatened our collective democratic values.”
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“This trend must be discouraged as it negates our core responsibilities as military professionals. Let me therefore use this opportunity to emphasize that as democratic countries, we, the military, must uphold democratic values in line with our various constitutions.”
“I am also optimistic that this meeting will assist us to prevent such abnormalities while strengthening our collective resolve to bring about peace and sustainable development to our region. “Accordingly, the complexity of the security landscape demands that we leverage our collective expertise, share intelligence and coordinate our efforts across borders if we must solve these challenges.”
“Thus, collaboration is paramount and imperative to address both the root causes and symptoms of insecurity in our region. It is on this premise that the agenda for this meeting was carefully crafted to focus on critical areas and building from our previous engagements.”
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“Some of these critical areas include the proposed ECOWAS security support mission in Sierra Leone and the equal standby force against terrorism.”
High-profile attendees at the meeting include Nigeria’s Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence Ahmed Lawan, and the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence. Representative from the National Security Adviser’s office, Nigerian service chiefs, and Chiefs of Defence Staff from various ECOWAS countries are also present.
However, the Chiefs of Defence Staff from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are notably absent.
The meeting aims to foster discussions on shared operational strategies and campaigns to enhance regional security.