West African Leaders Resolve To Support Transition Programmes In Region

Leaders of West African countries have resolved to support transition programmes in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.
This was part of resolutions at Tuesday’s meeting hosted by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Alieu, disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of a meeting between Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and his counterparts from Benin Republic, Patrice Talon; Niger Republic, Mohammed Bazoum and Umaro Embalo of Guinea Bissau.

He said the meeting reviewed the political and security situations in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.

Alieu said: “The leaders have reviewed the political and the security situation in the region of West Africa. Regarding the political situation in the region, the leaders have reviewed the transition in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.”

Pay a visit

The ECOWAS Commission President also disclosed that a group of three nations working together, also known as TRIOKA (Comprising Nigeria, Benin Republic and Guinea) have mandated the President of Benin, Patrice Talon, to pay a visit to the three affected countries; Mali, Benin and Guinea, to facilitate the transition process there.

On transition in those three countries, the leaders have taken the decision to re-engage the three countries at the highest levels.”The member of the Troika (Nigeria Benin and Guinea) in the person of his Excellency the President of the Republic of Benin will undertake a mission to these three countries on behalf of the Heads of States.”

“That mission will be undertaken shortly. The leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to expeditious transition to democracy in these countries.

“The transition must be in accordance with ECOWAS protocols and in accordance with their individual transition chatters. ECOWAS has resolved to support a credible and inclusive transition in each of these countries,” he said.

Security
On security, Alieu announced that the leaders resolved at Tuesday’s meeting to be more proactive in responding to security challenges.

“On security, the leaders have resolved to provide a robust response to any security threat in the region. The regional response shall include the operationalization of the ECOWAS plan of action, with the region’s own troop and region’s own financing.

“Financing from other partners will be welcome. Security response shall also include support to individual member states of the region. The response shall also include the use of specific arrangements such as specific models of peace and security.

“Adequate resources will be provided to the region’s response to peace and security. These are the resolutions and the commitments that the leaders have taken during the close door session,” he explained.

Buttressing the point, Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, who doubles as ECOWAS Chairman, assured that the needed resources would be provided to fight terrorism.

“We have no problem raising funds and we have the instrumentalities to do so, concerning our design and engineering our own finances, we believe we are capable of raising the necessary funds to combat terrorism and insecurity in the region,” he said.

The Nigerian leader had hosted the Presidents of Benin Republic, Niger Republic and Guinea Bissau at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, where they also had lunch together.
The visitors had since departed to their various countries.

Lateefah Ibrahim