West African leaders meet on regional political, security situations

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday met with three West African leaders and the ECOWAS President to address the political and security situation in the sub-region.

The leaders met behind closed door and emerged with a resolution read by the President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Touray said that the leaders reviewed the political and security situations in the sub-region and reviewed the transition in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

‘’Regarding the political situation in the sub-region, the leaders have reviewed the transition in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.

‘’Regarding the 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 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.

‘’The leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to expeditious transition to democracy in these countries.’’

He said the leaders agreed that the transition in the countries must be in accordance with ECOWAS protocols and in accordance with their individual transition charters.

‘’ECOWAS has resolved to support a credible and inclusive transition in each of these countries,’’ he said.

On the security situation, Touray said that the leaders resolved to provide a robust regional response to any security threat in the region.

‘’The regional response shall include the operationalisation 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.’’

Also speaking, Tinubu said that the region would fashion out a system to fully realise its objectives of peace and security in the sub-region.

Tinubu, who is the ECOWAS Chairman, said that funds would be made available by the regions leaders to tackle all forms of insecurity.

‘’We have no problems raising funds and we have the instrumentalities to do that.

‘’So, concerning our desire for re-engineering of our own finances, we believe we are capable of raising necessary funds to combat terrorism and insecurity in the region,’’ Tinubu said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was held between Tinubu and Presidents of Benin, Patrice Talon; Guinea-Bissau, Umaru Embalo, and Niger Republic, Mohamed Bazoum.(NAN)