Chiefs of Defence Staff of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, are meeting in Dakar, capital of Senegal, to discuss security challenges affecting the West African sub-region and how to tackle them.
The meeting, the 35th edition, will see the security chiefs deliberate on ECOWAS Standby Force, ESF, and the Peace Support Operations Division, PSOD, the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea Bissau, with attention paid to the exit strategy and implementation of the Defence and Security Sector Reform Programme, DSSRP, in the country
The Nigerian delegation which is led by the country’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin, include Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ibas, a Vice Admiral, and Chief of Training and Operations at Defence Headquarters, Shehu Yusuf, a Major General.
The Nigerian contingent is expected to brief the meeting on how the country has responded to the challenge posed by Boko Haram, especially the role of the multinational force.
A statement by Defence spokesperson, Rabe Abubakar, a Colonel, recalled that “Gen Olonisakin attended similar meeting some days back in Mali where regional efforts to curb terrorism and insurgency were extensively discussed.
“With increased regional and continental awareness of the evil of the terrorism and related crimes in the West African Sub Region, the perpetrators of evils will have it rough with regional forces,” Rabe said.