ECOWAS military leaders met in Abuja and urged Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to return to the regional group. They believe that rejoining is crucial for tackling the rising insecurity and insurgency in West Africa.
General Christopher Musa, Chairman of the ECOWAS Defence Chiefs and Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, emphasized that without security, progress is impossible. He noted that the threats of insurgency are severe and stressed the need for all countries to work together to address them.
Gen. Musa said, “Without security, there can’t be progress. We need to partner together to succeed because no country can handle this alone. We’re working hard to bring Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso back because if they struggle, we all do.”
He warned that insurgency is spreading quickly and urged the Defence Chiefs to take strong actions to prevent it from getting worse. “Insurgency is spreading very fast. We must act now to stop it before it’s too late,” he added.
Major General Adamu Laka, National Coordinator of the Counter-terrorism Centre, also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation. He said that sharing experiences among West African countries is key to defeating terrorism.
Laka said, “If your neighbor’s house is on fire, it can spread to yours. We need to learn from each other and work together. We plan to partner with Abidjan and share our knowledge to fight terrorism.”
He also mentioned that the Counter-terrorism Centre is well-equipped to handle threats, with advanced forensic labs to aid in investigations.
