ECOWAS Standby Force: West African Defence Chiefs Meet, Fine-tune Modalities for Activation

Linus Aleke in Abuja

As part of efforts to end terrorism, banditry, transnational organised crimes, proliferation of small and light weapons, and increasing political unrest in West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) military chiefs are meeting in Abuja to fine-tune modalities for activating the proposed ECOWAS Standby Force.

Speaking at the opening of the 43rd Ordinary Meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Committee of the Chiefs of Defence Staff, the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, applauded the foresight of past leaders for setting up this platform to leverage collective action against a common threat.

General Musa, who is also the Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of the Chiefs of Defence Staff, noted the complexity of the security landscape demands that they leverage their collective expertise, intelligence assets and coordinate efforts across borders to solve these challenges, as the world has become a global village and the gap between nations is shrinking even further.

The CDS stated that collaboration is paramount and imperative to address both the root causes and symptoms of insecurity in the West African subregion.

According to him, “It is on this premise that the agenda for this meeting was carefully crafted to focus on critical areas while building on our previous engagements.

“Some of these critical areas include the proposed review of pledges for the ECOWAS Standby Force, consideration of pledges for the ECOWAS Standby Force Counterterrorism Brigade, and the rotation of Staff Officers of Peace Support Operations Divisions and the ECOWAS Standby Force, as well as Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea”.

Other items on the agenda, he revealed, include the presentation on the outcome of the Governmental Experts Meeting on the ECOWAS Logistics Concept and Standing Operating Procedures for the ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi.

General Musa said that the meeting will also present and review the report of the last Chiefs of Naval Staff Meeting, adding that there will be a presentation on the standardisation of the Table of Equipment for the ECOWAS Standby Force.

The ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, stated that member states need to come together to form a counterterrorism brigade that will serve as a deterrent to the southern drift of terrorism in the region.

He stressed that the meeting of ECOWAS Defence Chiefs is another step in the drive towards activating the counterterrorism force.

“We will soon have the meeting of the Ministers of Finance, followed by the Ministers of Defence, to decide on the modality for funding. As it stands today, we need to rely on ourselves first before appealing to others for support. That is one key outcome we expect from this meeting,” he said.

The Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, said the planned activation of the proposed standby force underscores the collective determination of ECOWAS member states to confront the threat of terrorism in the region.

Stressing that ECOWAS is as strong as its weakest link, the Minister said, “As stakeholders in the subregion, we must identify and suitably adjust to the changing order of the global landscape with the emerging threats of terrorism, organised crime, climate change, cybercrime, and be able to respond within our national boundaries.”

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said the meeting represents a significant opportunity to come together, share experiences, and address the complex security challenges facing ECOWAS member states.

He stated that the collective effort to enhance regional security, counter transnational threats, and promote defence cooperation will, no doubt, yield a positive outcome for community members.