December 5 According to Reuters report in Abuja on December 4, West African leaders said on the 4th that they would establish a regional peacekeeping force capable of intervening with member countries to help restore security and constitutional order in the region. There have been many coups in West Africa in the past two years.
It is reported that the West and Central African region has made great progress in the past decade to get rid of the reputation of the “coup d’état zone”, but the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) hopes to take more measures.
In a communiqué issued after the annual summit in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, the leaders of West African countries said: “ECS leaders have decided to readjust our security architecture to ensure that we manage the security of the countries in the region.” The communiqué also said: “The leaders are determined to establish a regional force and intervene when necessary, whether in the fields of security, combating terrorism or restoring constitutional order in member states.”
It is reported that ECOWAS did not elaborate on the composition of the force, but said that the defense ministers of member states would meet next month to discuss how the force operates.
Regarding the situation in Guinea, leaders said that the military junta should immediately engage in an inclusive dialogue with all parties and politicians. Leaders also expressed serious concern about the security situation in Burkina Faso, which took place in October.
