The Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS) on Monday launched a landmark Speedy Deployment Drive designed to counter terrorism, piracy, and transnational organised crime.
Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Safety, talking on the African Chiefs of Defence Employees Summit in Abuja, mentioned the brand new drive will comprise 260,000 personnel drawn from throughout member states — a decisive shift towards African-led safety options.
He added that the bloc is finalising a $2.5 billion annual funds to maintain the drive, with finance and defence ministers assembly on Friday to debate funding.
“The activation of this speedy deployment drive has change into a necessity given the uneven safety dynamics within the area,” Musah mentioned.
He urged bilateral, multilateral, and UN companions to help the trouble below Decision 2719 (2023), which seeks to cowl as much as 75% of peacekeeping prices.
ECOWAS recommended Nigeria’s management and urged contributors to ship “concrete, sensible, and modern suggestions” to strengthen Africa’s collective safety structure.
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On his half, Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima referred to as for higher collaboration past nationwide borders.
“None of those tragedies respect borders, and neither ought to our response. That is the second to forge a brand new doctrine of continental defence, rooted in belief, shared intelligence, and coordinated technique,” Shettima declared.
He urged African nations to prioritise cyber defence, synthetic intelligence, and indigenous navy expertise, warning that the continent should not stay depending on overseas improvements.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Employees, Christopher Musa, additionally burdened that fashionable threats are evolving past conventional battlefields.
“The threats of at present are now not confined to traditional warfare; they’re digital, uneven and infrequently invisible. The enemy is inside,” Musa mentioned.
He emphasised the necessity to construct an African defence industrial base and create accountable establishments, stressing that the sacrifices of fallen troopers ought to encourage lasting reform.
The Abuja summit introduced collectively defence chiefs, diplomats, and safety specialists from throughout Africa.
