The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it is working to set up a counter-terrorism force to tackle security threats within the sub-region.

The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of ECOWAS, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah stated this at the opening of a three-day consultative meeting of commandants of the three designated ECOWAS training centres of excellence.

The three centres of excellence are the National Defence College in Nigeria, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana, and the Ecole de Maintien de la Paix Alioune Blondin Beye in Mali.

Mali, which houses one of the training centres of excellence was absent from the meeting. Its absence may not be unconnected with the recent move by the country alongside Niger and Burkina Faso to exit the ECOWAS community.

The consultative engagement is a bi-annual event coordinated by the Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security of ECOWAS.

Mr Musah said terrorism was cascading across the region, and there was a need to have counter-terrorism forces to contain its spread.

“This is the decision, and in the coming weeks, ECOWAS has already, with the chiefs of defence staff, developed operational modalities, the concept of operations and everything for us to aggregate.

“It will be something like an advanced rapid reaction force of a battalion that will be able to confront terrorists’ bases,” said Mr Musah.

He explained that $2.4 billion would be raised to fund the ECOWAS standby force, which would tackle the security challenges headlong as part of the resolution of the authority of heads of state.

“The heads of state have decided that in the first year, we must raise about $2.4 billion to support the operation of this force to face the terrorists,” he said.

Mr Musah said out of the amount, the heads of state have directed member states to contribute $1 billion to commence the operation of the standby force.

He also explained that ministers of defence and finance from the sub-region would be meeting to fashion out funding modalities for the force.

“We are faced with the nightmare of having one of our member states being completely occupied by terrorist groups.

“If they set up a front base in one country, then no country is safe, and we have already seen the impact of that on some of the coastal countries – Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire – over the past few years,” said Mr Musah.

The ECOWAS commissioner, however, said Nigeria has been able to degrade the Boko Haram terrorists.

He stated, “In Nigeria, thanks to the efforts of the Nigerian government, Boko haram has been degraded to the extent that they do not pose a sustainable threat to the peace and security of Nigeria.”

The commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu, urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to exchange useful ideas to enhance operations against terrorist groups in the region. 

(NAN)