The Nigerian federal government is leading member nations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to find lasting solutions to the increasing menace of terrorism and violent extremism that have ravaged the region in recent times.
This was the crux of the 51st Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at Ministerial Level, chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, which the Minister declared open in Abuja on Wednesday.
The meeting offers the opportunity to exhaustively discuss the collective existential challenges, and to devise strategies to tackle these emerging threats for the overall well-being of our community’s citizens. The meeting is also geared towards shaping the policies for the collective response, ensuring comprehensive and coordinated actions that align with the needs and aspirations of the member states.
He said “As we convene here today, we are acutely aware of the pressing challenges facing our region and the need for collective action to frontally address them. The proliferation of arms, as well as the prevalence of terrorism, and violent extremism continues to pose significant threats to peace, stability, and development in our region.
“The persistent challenges of political instability, as seen in the recently foiled coup attempts in Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau are further indicators of the apparent threat against our democracy and as such, underscores the importance of our deliberations today.
“Therefore, as members of this important organ of ECOWAS, we have a collective responsibility of proffering solutions to address the current challenges, with a view to engendering sustainable peace and stability in our region.”
He urged the region to protect democracy even as he commended the government and people of Liberia for the successful conduct of the recent presidential and legislative elections in the country. He said the peaceful and transparent electoral process is a testament to Liberia’s unwavering commitment to democratic principles. The minister equally lauded the governments of Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau for their resolute efforts in thwarting recent attempts to destabilise constitutional harmony in the two countries.
Also speaking during the meeting president of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray lamented that despite the collective efforts to create a conducive and peaceful environment for the citizens of the community, the region has continued to face great challenges and vulnerabilities that constitute an impediment to development and integration strides.
“Our region is confronted with complex security and governance challenges, including terrorism and violent extremism, inter-communal and armed conflicts, transnational organised crime, democratic reversals, and dire humanitarian situations.
“It is worrisome that we continue to witness the menace of military coup d’état in the region and its negative impact on political governance, peace, and security. It is therefore crucial to firmly react through collective and decisive actions,” he said.
