Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed to create a regional peacekeeping force to ensure security in the region, they stated in a joint communique after an annual summit in Abuja, Nigeria.
"The leaders of ECOWAS have decided to recalibrate our security architecture to ensure that we take care of our own security in the region," the communique said.
The leaders stressed that they are determined to form a regional force to “intervene in the event of need, whether this is in the area of security, terrorism” or restoration of constitutional order in member states.
ECOWAS didn't provide any information as to how the force would be created, saying only that the defense chiefs of member countries would meet next month to work out details and consider the modalities of the planned regional force.
The 62nd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS was held on December 4. The session was preceded by the groundbreaking ceremony of the China-aided project for a new ECOWAS headquarters. After completion, the building is expected to house three of the regional organization's main institutions.
During the session, the West African leaders considered reports from the Council of Ministers meeting that was held two days earlier, and discussed issues of mutual interest, including the security situation in the region.
The decision to form a regional force and restructure the "security architecture" comes amid increasing security threats in West Africa, which is suffering from continuous terrorist attacks. The activities of terrorist groups, such as attacks as well as drug and illicit arms trafficking, undermine stability across the whole region, hampering its socio-economic development.
Most countries in West Africa, and specifically in the Sahel region, suffer from the spread of terrorism, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria, and southwards to the Gulf of Guinea. National armies have long been cooperating with global actors like the UN and France to cope with the rampant terrorism and bring an end to continuous attacks. But the recent decision is aimed at enabling countries to "take care of own security in the region."
Apart from this, the leaders of ECOWAS member states also considered the aftermath of the coups that have shaken West Africa over the past two years. Countries such as Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso have recently been hit by military coups. Following these, all three countries were suspended from the decision-making process within the regional body. ECOWAS also introduced tough sanctions against the military authorities, which, in their turn, pledged to step down and hold elections. The organization is now monitoring the progress made so far by each nation in terms of the restoration of constitutional order.