The 56th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council has opened in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with ministers discussing the region’s political, security and humanitarian challenges.
Key items on the agenda include the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force, the humanitarian situation in West Africa, conflict prevention measures and relations with the Alliance of Sahel States.
ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray urged member states to strengthen cooperation, preventive diplomacy and collective action to achieve lasting peace and regional stability.
Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba reaffirmed his country’s commitment to democratic governance and regional security, while Nigeria called for stronger cooperation against terrorism, piracy and transnational crime.
Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye also urged ECOWAS to continue dialogue with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to preserve regional cooperation.
The meeting serves as a key preparation for the 69th ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for July 19 in Sierra Leone.
