By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The return of suspended Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso into the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) is necessary for the defeat of the increasing insecurity ravaging the region, especially insurgency, Chiefs of Defence Staff in the sub-region have stated.
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Heritage Times HT reports that the West African economic bloc had suspended the three countries after their respective military takeovers, which occurred in July 2023 in Niger, September 2022 in Burkina Faso and August 2021 in Mali.
ECOWAS also imposed sanctions on Niger and Mali.
In response, the trio went ahead to create the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to rival the ECOWAS bloc.
At a summit in Niamey, the capital of Niger in June, they signed a treaty which they described as a step “towards greater integration” between the three countries, showing their shift away from traditional regional and Western allies.
But at a visit to the Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre on Friday, the Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff and Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa called for the return of the three nations.
Efforts are ongoing on the part of the ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff to ensure the three countries are back, General Musa disclosed.
Nigeria’s Defence Chief further reiterated the need for all hands to be on deck to curtail insecurity in West Africa.
The National Coordinator Counter-terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka who played host to the ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff harped on the need for cooperation among the West African countries to defeat terrorism.
General Laka added that countries in the region must share experiences as one of the ways to combat terrorism.
ECOWAS chaired by Nigerian leader, President Bola Tinubu has insisted on the return of civilian rule in the three nations as a condition for reinstatement.
