The 42nd ordinary meeting of ECOWAS Defence Chiefs has opened at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
Chaired by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who is the Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff, the meeting is being attended by Nigerian Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Ahmed Lawan; Chairman, House Committee of Defence; representative of the National Security Adviser, service chiefs, and the Chief of Defence Staff of ECOWAS countries.
Defence Chiefs of Cabo Verde, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Togo are absent.
The meeting will discuss regional security at a time when the bloc is considering the establishment of a force that will counter security challenges.
Following their previous meeting in August 2023, the defence chiefs agreed to confront the situation in the Niger Republic with a comprehensive strategy that included political, security, and diplomatic facets.
General Christopher Musa said the presence of the defence chiefs indicates a commitment to shared interest for peace in the region, adding that the complexity of the security landscape requires the sharing of intelligence across the region.
Top on the agenda of the meeting is the Activation of ECOWAS standby force against terrorism.
The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, ECOWAS, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, stated that the 42nd ordinary meeting was delayed because of the political developments exemplified by coups in the region.
He added that this will allow the chiefs to review the implementation of the decisions taken at the previous meeting.
A road map for the activation of the ECOWAS standby force to counter terrorism will be discussed.
