ECOWAS defence chiefs seek return of Niger, Burkina Faso,  Mali 

The Chiefs of Defence Staff in West Africa on Friday called for the return of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to the regional bloc.

In January, the three military-led West African nations announced their immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States, accusing the organisation of becoming a threat to its member states.

The regional Defence Chiefs stated that their return was crucial to overcoming the insecurity plaguing the region, particularly insurgency.

The Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff and the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa spoke while leading the Defence Chiefs on a visit to the National Coordinator of the Counter-terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka in Abuja.

Musa noted that efforts were underway to bring back the three countries, stressing that all countries in the region must work together to address insecurity in West Africa.

He said, “For us, we feel without security, there can’t be progress. And the threats we are facing, especially on insurgency, are high, and we think it’s very, very important that we need to partner together to achieve success. No country can do it alone, and that’s why it’s important.

“We know we have three countries that have decided to step aside. We are making all efforts to ensure that they come back to the fold because we know even they, on their own, cannot withstand this. And we know the relevance, if they fall, it will also drag us down.

“And that is why it is important for us as West Africans to continue to work together. I appreciate the National Coordinator for doing a wonderful job. He just came in in April and there’s so much that has taken place, and that is something we are very proud of.”

Musa, who said the insurgency in the region was spreading wide and fast, urged the Defence Chiefs to leave no stone unturned to curb the menace.

He said, “Insurgency is on the increase and spreading very, very wide and very fast. So we must do everything possible to ensure that we nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand. So on behalf of all of us, we are happy to be here.

“We are sure that we’re going to work together to ensure that there is total peace in our region. I had the privilege of being the theatre commander in the Northeast when this horrendous exercise started, and it started like a joke.

“I think that’s what we need to encourage from all experiences, showing that the kinetic efforts can only do so much. The non-kinetic does more. But we need the two of them to go hand in hand, and that’s what we have to continue doing.”

In his remarks, Laka said there was a need for cooperation among the West African countries to defeat terrorism.

He also said it was important for countries in the region to share their experiences, noting that it remains one of the key strategies for overcoming insecurity.

Laka said,” We hope to partner with our brothers in the West African sub-region and the Sahel. They say if your brother’s house is on fire, it can also reach yours.

“So we need to learn from one another. We don’t plan to make this place the only place. We plan to partner with Abidjan.

“So it’s going to be a partnership. While we are experts in the preventive aspects, we are going to partner with all those centres to address the threat of terrorism.”

He added, “We are in the process of talking about how we are going to come together to address this threat that is stopping development and stopping our people from reaping the dividends of democracy.

“So Nigeria, we have so much experience. I know every country has its own experience. The only way we can address this threat is to share our experiences to address them.”

Laka said the centre is well-equipped to address the threat of terrorism.

He said, “Part of the things we have in this facility to address the threat of terrorism, we have state-of-the-art forensic laboratories. We have the toxicology labs, the fingerprint labs, the DNA labs, the handwriting labs, and so on. These are things that will facilitate the threat of terrorism investigation and so on.”