AA/Bamako/Amarana Maiga
The Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting on Sunday December 4 in Abuja, Nigeria, decided to urgently mobilize one billion dollars from the Regional Fund to fight against terrorism created for this purpose.
This is what emerges from the final communiqué of the sixty-second (62nd) ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS released on Tuesday.
The Conference expressed “its deep concern over the worsening regional security situation created by the resurgence and expansion of terrorist attacks and their humanitarian consequences”. She says she is “very concerned about the security situation in Burkina Faso and its potential consequences on coastal countries and therefore calls for urgent actions to support Burkina Faso in its efforts to eradicate terrorist attacks on its territory”.
The Heads of State and Government reiterated “their commitment to the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Priority Action Plan 2020-2024 to eradicate terrorism in the region, as adopted during their 56th session meeting held on 21 December 2019 in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
“In this perspective, they undertake to urgently pay their contributions of one billion dollars to the Regional Counter-Terrorism Fund created for this purpose.
The Conference further underlined “the urgency of accelerating the implementation of the ECOWAS Priority Action Plan 2020-2024 to eradicate terrorism, in particular by improving resource mobilization and strengthening operational and logistics in the region to better lead the fight against terrorism”.
The Conference also instructed the Joint Chiefs of Staff “to urgently study and propose the options, modalities and financial and technical means for the urgent activation of the Standby Force of ECOWAS, including a special counter-terrorism kinetic operation”.
The Regional Organization also reviewed the political situation in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.
Concerning Burkina Faso, the Conference affirms to have taken note of “the commitment of the new authorities of the transition to respect the 24-month transition schedule already agreed with ECOWAS and which should lead to the organization of elections in July 2024, in an improved security climate” before welcoming “the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Burkina Faso and ECOWAS on the establishment of the Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism of the 24-month transition schedule in the country and encourages the authorities to work with ECOWAS within the framework of the joint monitoring and evaluation mechanism for a successful transition”.
With regard to Guinea, ECOWAS insisted on “the immediate implementation of the 24-month timetable and not at a later date” while urging the Guinean authorities to “hold a national dialogue including all the political actors without exception, and to guarantee the safety and freedom of all participants”.
As for Mali, the Conference noted with satisfaction that the transition process is following its course and that the transitional authorities have made progress with the establishment of a joint mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the transition schedule involving the government, ECOWAS, AU, UN, ECOWAS Mediator, Steering Committee and Technical Committee.
Concerning the Ivorian soldiers detained in Bamako since last July 10 and described by the Malian authorities as “mercenaries”, the Conference recalls and welcomes the various diplomatic efforts deployed by ECOWAS and its Member States as well as by the United Nations to obtain the release of the 46 Ivorian soldiers detained in Mali.
Furthermore, the Conference calls on the Malian authorities to respond positively to the various calls for the release of these soldiers.
Finally, the Conference also decided to set up a regional force whose mandate will include the restoration of constitutional order wherever it is threatened in the sub-region.
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