A meeting of Ecowas defence Chiefs has opened at the Defence Headquarters Abuja.
Tagged the 43rd ordinary meeting of ECOWAS committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff, the meeting will review critical security issues affecting the subregion including the quest for an Ecowas force.
The meeting is coming at a time the Alliance of Sahelian States comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger has announced the deployment of a force 5000-strong to combat insecurity.
Niger Republic is also threatening to pull out of the Multi National Joint Task Force combating Boko Haram and it’s affiliates in the Sahel.
The host, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, in his opening address said the complexity of the security challenges requires that the participating states harness resources and intelligence to tackle.
The meeting will be considering each country’s contribution towards the establishment of the Ecowas standby force.
For his part, Abdel Fatau Musah, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said the security situation presents daunting challenges to intergration in the region.
The Sahel according to him accounts for 51% of terrorists events in 2024.
He adds that Ecowas is taking steps to mitigate the unintended consequences of the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Bloc.
