Minister of foreign affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has urged member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to strengthen efforts to address the root causes of insecurity in the sub-region.
He made this demand at the opening of the 52nd Session of the Mediation and Security Council at the Ministerial level in Abuja on Wednesday, stressing that the security and humanitarian challenges confronting the subregion are enormous.
The minister lamented the increasing level of terrorism and violent extremisms, adding that in the first five months of 2024, over 800 terrorist attacks claiming over 7,000 lives were recorded in the West Africa sub-region.
Tuggar, who is also the chairman of the Council, urged countries in the subregion to devise collective actions required for ECOWAS to overcome the mirage of challenges. He expressed confidence that despite the various challenges, the subregion has made significant progress in the area of democracy and governance.
He said, „We are gathering with a deep sense of purpose and unity — driven by our commitment to securing peace and political stability across our region. As we are all aware, our region faces grave security and humanitarian challenges. Terrorism continues to threaten our collective well-being. Violent extremists operate within and across our national borders, compromising not just our peace and security but also our prospects for growth and development. Therefore, as we commence our deliberation today, let us be mindful of the critical threats we face – and the collective actions required to overcome them.
“The ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Network (ECOWARN) statistics paint a sobering picture. Between January and May 2024, our region has witnessed over 7,000 deaths as a result of more than 800 terrorist incidents. Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali have been particularly devastated by this relentless violence. This stark reality highlights the staggering human cost of insecurity, and underscores the urgency for a coordinated and decisive action to combat this menace.”
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