The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has activated its Standby Force to combat terrorism and other trans-border crimes in the subregion.
Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru announced this during the 43rd edition of the ordinary meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of the Chiefs of Defence in Abuja on Tuesday.
Alexa News Nigeria reports that the meeting was attended by Chiefs of Defence Staff of ECOWAS countries, except Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which had withdrawn from the subregional body.
Badaru said the meeting underscores their commitment to addressing the sub-region’s critical security challenges.
He said: “My charge this morning to you all is for you to take advantage of this gathering, mobilise against those threats, and focus on defying terror…”
“Central to the discussion in the coming days regarding pressing issues concerning the ECOWAS Standby Force, ECOWAS peace support operation, and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. I am confident that our deliberation will be matched by a spirit of collaboration, innovation, and determination as we draft a comprehensive strategy to address the security challenges in the subregion.”
According to Badaru, by leveraging their collective expertise, resources, and commitment, they can make a tangible impact on fostering peace, stability, and prosperity in the sub-region.
“In this regard, I am pleased to announce the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force to combat terrorism in the sub-region,” Badaru said.
“The activation of this force underscores our collective determination to confront the threat of terrorism regarding the security of the sub-region.”
“With regard to security and to ensure the safety and security of our citizens, before I take my seat, let me express my profound gratitude to each of you for the ongoing dedication, professionalism, and commitment to the security and well-being of our people.”
He urged the participants to approach the deliberations with purpose, unity, and resolve, “knowing that we also have the power to ensure a more secure and prosperous future for our sub-region.”
The ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Dr Abdel-Fatau Musah, said that despite the recent withdrawal of three African countries from the regional body, ECOWAS maintains the free movement of persons and goods.
During their deliberations, he also urged the gathering to critically examine the implications of their withdrawal for regional security.
He said: “As you are aware, on 29 January 2025, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger formally withdrew their memberships from ECOWAS. Following the directives of the Authority of Heads of State and Government at the last Summit in December 2024, the ECOWAS Commission has initiated a contingency plan to mitigate the unforeseen consequences of their withdrawal. Therefore, during your deliberations, I call on you to critically examine the implications of their withdrawal on regional security.
“I so wish to stress that ECOWAS still has its doors open to welcome back our brothers and sisters from the countries that recently withdrew from our community.
“In this regard, the ECOWAS Committee of Heads of State has directed that despite the withdrawal, ECOWAS must maintain the free movement of people and goods and the rights of settlement and establishment to all citizens of our community, including those from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, in the spirit of where ECOWAS is going, that is, building a community and a united force of people, and we do not want the ordinary citizens of our member states to suffer.”
He disclosed that the regional bloc has made giant strides towards operationalising the Regional Logistics Depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone.
He stated that the physical construction of site 1 and site 2 is fully completed, adding that ECOWAS is currently furnishing them. He stated further that the principal officers, the Commander and his deputy, who are the depot’s current critical human resource requirements, have recently been rotated.
“Furthermore, only a fortnight ago, your representatives attended the governmental experts’ meeting in Abuja, hosted by ECOWAS, to review and validate the key guiding documents relating to the ECOWAS Standby Force Logistics Concept, the ECOWAS Logistics Depot Policies, and the Standard Operating Procedures.”
“Permit me to say that from the key recommendations of the 42nd Ordinary Meeting held in August last year, the Commission has done a lot in carrying out the tasks relating to the ECOWAS Missions in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau; the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force to fight against terrorism; and the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone, amongst others,” Musah said. He added that the pledges made by the member states were being reconfigured in compliance with the directive to activate the Standby Force in the kinetic mode.
In his welcome remarks, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, said the meeting demonstrates a collective drive to address the various security threats that afflict the region.
Musa said the military leaders knew economic growth and development would continue to elude the region without a secure and conducive environment.
Therefore, he called on the Armed Forces to support the political leadership by entrenching a conducive and secure environment for economic development to thrive. He said this in recognition that today’s threats are complex and adaptive, pervading and, in some cases, traversing countries in the sub-region.
He commended past leaders’ foresight for setting up the platform to leverage collective action against a common threat.
He stressed that “the complexity of the security landscape demands that we leverage our collective expertise and intelligence assets and coordinate our efforts across borders if we must solve these challenges, as the world has become a global village and the gap between us is shrinking even more. Thus, collaboration is paramount and imperative to address the root causes and symptoms of insecurity in our region.”
General Musa explained that it was on the above that the agenda for the meeting was carefully crafted to focus on critical areas while building from 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 Counterterrorist Brigade, and the rotation of Staff Officers of Peace Support Operations Divisions and ECOWAS Standby Force, as well as Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea. Others are 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.”
He said the meeting would also present and review the last Chiefs of Naval Staff Meeting report and a presentation on the Standardisation of the Table of Equipment for the ECOWAS Standby Force.
Others at the meeting included the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Dr Abdel-Fatau Musah; Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Emmanuel Undiandeye; the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and members of the diplomatic community.
