Leaders in the West African area, according to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, must transcend coups d’état and challenges to democracy.
Following the election of Tinubu as the next chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the current 63rd Ordinary session in Guinea Bissau, Dele Alake, the presidential spokesman, revealed this on Sunday in a statement.
The leader of the most populous nation in Africa declared that the region’s advancement and development are being hampered by terrorism and insecurity.
As a result of terrorism and a rising pattern of military takeover, he remarked, the threat to peace in the region had grown to alarming dimensions and now necessitated swift and coordinated action.
To reduce regional insecurity, Tinubu emphasized the importance of embracing both military and non-kinetic actions, including preventive diplomacy.
He promised to coordinate all efforts and means to bring about enduring peace in the area.
“In terms of peace and security, the threat has grown seriously, necessitating immediate action to solve the problems. Without a calm environment, the region’s prosperity and development will indeed remain unattainable. In order to combat the threat of insecurity, we must continue to be committed to utilizing all regional frameworks.
The operationalization of the ECOWAS standby force on the fight against terrorism is another. There is also the Regional Plan of Action on Fight Against Terrorism 2020-2024.
I’ll see to it that these plans are coordinated and that resources and political will are mobilized to make the initiatives a reality. We must cooperate in order to establish an effective regional counterterrorism strategy since terrorists do not respect borders, he said.
