By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigerian leader and the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has urged member states of the regional bloc to support efforts to fully activate its anti-terrorism force, the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF).
At the opening session of the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on Sunday, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, he appealed for financial commitment in line with recommendations of ministers of defence and finance.
“As we move to operationalise the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism, I must emphasise that the success of this plan requires not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources,” Tinubu who was re-elected chairman of the bloc told the gathering.
“We must therefore ensure that we meet the expectations and recommendations set forth by our ministers of defence and finance in order to counter the insecurity and stabilise our region. Member states must make extra commitments to providing resources for stabilising the region.”
Tinubu also advised ECOWAS leaders to leverage the capabilities of Nigeria’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), which has been widely acknowledged as one of the best on the continent.
He announced that the Nigerian “government has decided to make the NCTC a regional centre to enable all ECOWAS member states to benefit from capacity building and other related opportunities it offers”
Heritage Times HT reports that countries in ECOWAS have been hit by a wave of coups in recent years. Niger Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso have been taken over by junta leaders.
ECOWAS had in the wake of the coups imposed a raft of sanctions including border closure on the three nations.
While they were lifted in February, the countries left the regional bloc a few days later. The trio in first summit in Niger, on Saturday, said they have “irrevocably turned their backs” on ECOWAS and have instead formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
In underscoring the need for such standby force by ECOWAS, Tinubu noted, “The Regional Action Plan against Terrorism has enhanced cooperation on training, intelligence sharing, and humanitarian interventions. In addition to this, the Ministers of Finance and Defence met recently in Abuja to raise funds for activating the ECOWAS Standby Force to boost counter-terrorism efforts.
“Let me underscore that a peaceful and secure society is essential for achieving our potential. As we move to operationalize the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism, I must emphasize that the success of this plan requires not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources.”
