Let us fight terrorism, piracy together— Akufo-Addo appeals to ECOWAS leaders
Let us fight terrorism, piracy together— Akufo-Addo appeals to ECOWAS leaders
The ECOWAS Authority Chairman, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has urged member states in the regional bloc to contribute to the ECOWAS Regional Security Fund to help fight terrorism in the region and piracy on the Gulf of Guinea.
Speaking at the opening of the 59th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in Accra last Saturday, the President said the activities of terrorists and pirates were the major security concerns facing the region.
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“We are still confronted with serious security challenges with deadly terrorist attacks and kidnappings, not only in the frontline countries, namely Mali, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Niger, but also in the coastal countries of our Region, such as Cote d’Ivoire.”
“Recently, the terrorist attack, which resulted in the death of some 132 civilians, including children, in Burkina Faso, on June 5, is the latest of such outrage,” he said and urged the Authority of Heads of State to help address the challenge.
According to the ECOWAS Chair, acts of piracy and maritime destabilisation were on the rise in the Gulf of Guinea and affecting trade in the community and increased the cost of imported products.
President Akufo-Addo urged the member states to operationalise the maritime centres established in the region, and develop and implement an effective strategy to combat pirates on the gulf.
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In addition to the security concerns in the region, the Summit addressed the political situation in Mali, the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges in the ongoing vaccination exercise in the region, efforts to develop vaccines in the region and the African Continental Free trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, among other issues.
The heads of state discussed a report from the ECOWAS Mediator on the Malian Crisis, Goodluck Jonathan, former President of Nigeria, and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, who went together to Mali after the investiture of Colonel Goita.
Also on the agenda was the ongoing institutional reform of the organisation. The purpose of the reform is to improve the performance and operational efficiency of ECOWAS institutions, in order to ensure the implementation of integration programmes for the economic and social development of the region.
The reform focuses on the optimal structure of the Commission and other institutions, on modalities for the allocation of statutory positions, and on streamlining ECOWAS’ operating costs.
Present at the summit were representatives of the African Union and the United Nations, and Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Madam Louise Mushikiwabo, the Secretary General of La Francophonie, among other dignitaries.
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On the COVID-19 pandemic, President Akufo-Addo said the measures taken at national and regional levels since the outbreak of the pandemic had helped contain and mitigate its impact in the region and described the deaths recorded as regrettable.
He expressed gratitude to all ECOWAS AU Member States for the support of Ghana’s recent successful candidature for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for the years 2022-2023.
He said Ghana received the highest number of votes on the day (185 out of 190 votes) and pledged to consult broadly and ensure that Africa’s voice was heard loud and clear in the deliberations of the Security Council, both on matters affecting our region and the continent, and on global issues and will consult broadly to define Africa’s interests.
President Akufo-Addo pledged to work to solicit the backing of countries around the world for the “long overdue reform of the UN based on the Ezulwini Consensus” to ensure that Africa was given a permanent seat on the UN Security Council
“We believe it is time to correct the long standing injustice that the current structure and composition of the UN Security Council represents for the nations of Africa,” he said and welcomed Mohamed Bazoum and Patrice Talon, who have been elected as Presidents of the Republic of Niger and of the Republic of Benin, respectively, since the last summit.
Source: www.spotonnews.net
