ECOWAS Agrees To Establish Regional Force

The leaders of the member states of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) have agreed to establish a regional security force, reports the Al-Mayadeen Media Network (Beirut).

ECOWAS leaders met on Sunday in Nigeria and agreed to “establish a regional force that will intervene in the event of need, whether this is in the area of security, terrorism and restore constitutional order in member countries," said Omar Alieu Touray, the president of the ECOWAS commission.

The move comes after recent coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali and ongoing cross-border jihadist threats in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, reported Agence France-Presse.

The defense chiefs from the member states will meet to iron out the details of a regional peacekeeping force in the second half of 2023, said Touray.

Funding for the force must also be determined. The ECOWAS president emphasized that it would not depend solely on voluntary contributions.

Separately, Touray called for the release of Ivorian troops that have been held hostage by Mali since July.