West African defence chiefs push for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’s return to ECOWAS

West African defence chiefs on Friday demanded the return of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, made the call when he led other ECOWAS defence chiefs on a visit to the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) on Friday in Abuja.

Musa said the return of the three countries to the regional bloc was necessary to address the insecurity across the sub-region.

He said that efforts were ongoing to ensure that the three countries to ECOWAS.

The three countries currently under the control of military juntas left the regional bloc last year in protest of West African leaders’ handling of the military coup in Niger Republic.

READ ALSO: West African defence chiefs agree on D-day to move against Niger coup plotters

Musa said: “For us, we feel without security, there can’t be progress and the threats we are facing, especially on insurgency, are high.

“We think it is very important that we need to partner together to achieve success. No country can do it alone, and that’s why it’s important.

“We know we have three countries that have decided to step aside.

“We are making all efforts to ensure that they come back to the fold because we know even they, on their own, cannot withstand this.

“We know the relevance that if they fall, it will also drag us down and that is why it is important for us as West Africans to continue to work together.”

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