ECOWAS SUMMIT: Buhari calls for common strategy against insecurity in West Africa

President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the current ECOWAS Chairman, has called on Heads of State and Government in the West African sub-region to tackle insecurity head-on.

He made the call at the 55th Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He stated that a common strategy must be adopted by all member states at the national and regional level to combat insurgency, kidnapping, banditry and other forms of cross-border crimes.

Buhari stressed that until insecurity was addressed in the sub-region, its stability, economic prosperity and development would remain a mirage.

He said: “Taking into account the transnational nature of the threats confronting us, the need for the adoption of a common strategy at the national and regional level to combat them, has become imperative.

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“By so doing, we will reinforce our actions and resources for a more effective response to protect our citizens and secure our common space.

“While I acknowledge that several initiatives and measures have been taken in our respective countries recent developments have shown that we must cooperate more effectively to achieve our goals.

“We should send a strong and unified message to the perpetrators of violence that we are resolute in our collective determination to confront and defeat them.”

According to him, member states of the ECOWAS must remain focus in their collective endeavor in the areas of peace and stability so as to achieve the set goal of the organization.

He said the call had become imperative in view of the fact that despite the overall appreciable progress made, particularly in the field of political governance, the sub-region had continued to face considerable security challenges.

“We are all witnesses to the recurring incidents of inter-communal clashes, herders-farmers conflicts, banditry and terrorist attacks in all our countries.

“These threats, you will agree with me, have consequences on the peaceful co-existence between our communities and peoples as well as their livelihoods.

“This unrest also undermines all our efforts in achieving full regional integration. It is, therefore, necessary that we act collectively to end this menace in the interest of regional stability and well-being of our people,” he said.

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