The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that Heads of States of its member states have agreed to raise $2.4 billion to establish a standby counter-terrorism force to address security threats within the sub-region.
Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of ECOWAS, disclosed this during the opening of a three-day consultative meeting of commandants from the three designated ECOWAS Training Centres of Excellence on Tuesday.
Musah emphasized that the counter-terrorism force would function as a rapid reaction unit, comprising a battalion capable of confronting terrorist strongholds that have been proliferating in the region.
“This is the decision, and in the coming weeks, ECOWAS has already with the Chief of Defence Staffs, developed operational modalities, the concept of operations and everything for us to aggregate.
“It will be something like an advanced rapid reaction force of a battalion that will be able to confront terrorists’ bases.
“The Heads of States have decided that on the first year, we must raise about 2.4 billion dollars to support the operation of this force in order to face the terrorists,” Musah stated.
The three centers of excellence for the ECOWAS counter-terrorism force are: the National Defence College in Nigeria, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana, and the Ecole de Maintien de la Paix Alioune Blondin Beye in Mali.
Musah further disclosed that out of the agreed $2.5 billion for the counter-terrorism standby force, the Heads of States of the bloc’s member states have directed member states to contribute $1 billion to commence the operation of the standby force.
He also explained that ministers of defence and finance from the sub-region would be meeting to fashion out funding modalities for the counter-terrorism force.
What you should know
- In recent years, the West African region has grappled with coups and the overthrow of civilian governments in several countries, notably Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
- These military takeovers have raised significant security concerns within the West African bloc, prompting ECOWAS to impose sanctions on the affected nations.
- In January 2024, the military administrations of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso declared their withdrawal from ECOWAS, citing perceived injustices stemming from the sanctions imposed by the organization. However, ECOWAS clarified that Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali remain members of the bloc until they officially declare their intent to withdraw.
- It is worth noting that Burkina Faso and other nations in the region have been ravaged by terrorism in recent times, highlighting the urgent need for ECOWAS to establish a standby force to safeguard the region and enhance security, as disclosed by Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of ECOWAS.