The newly appointed High Official in the fight against Terrorism of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), H.E. Baba Kamara, embarked on a working visit to the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, from Wednesday, 8th to Friday, 10th November 2023.
During this visit, he held talks with relevant agencies and departments of the Commission to acquaint himself with the current terrorism situation in the West African region as he prepares to initiate activities for the review and implementation of the ECOWAS Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Plan of Action, with the ultimate goal of curbing the scourge in our region.
During the three-day familiarisation visit, the former High Commissioner of Ghana to Nigeria met with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, who expressed delight at the appointment of Baba Kamara as the Special Envoy. He noted that the Commission was excited to have someone with such pedigree and experience to lead the charge in the fightNational Security Advisor against terrorism.
Dr. Touray mentioned that the former National Security Advisor of Ghana would bring a fresh impetus to lead the review of the ECOWAS CT Strategy and the implementation of the Plan of Action. He assured the Special Envoy of the full support of the Commission, particularly the relevant departments, including the Early Warning, Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), as well as the Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs.
Recognising the importance of these departments as the forefront agencies in shaping policies and programs in the fight against the terrorism menace, H.E. Baba Kamara held working sessions with their respective heads and staff to gain insight into the journey so far and the challenges in the implementation of the ECOWAS Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which runs between 2020 and 2024.
In this regard, the High Official received briefings from H.E. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, under whose leadership is the Early Warning Department, H.E. Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner PAPS, and Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, Commissioner of Humanitarian and Social Affairs.
Accompanied by Mr. Inusah Ziblim, Expert on Terrorism and Minister/Consular Affairs at the Ghana High Commission in Abuja, and Mr. Thomas Kpegah, Deputy Director and Senior Analyst at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Alhaji Baba Kamara assured the leadership of ECOWAS that he would do his utmost to collaborate with the various departments of the Commission to review the Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Plan of Action and make their implementation feasible.
The Special Envoy expressed concern about the devastating effects of terrorism and violent extremism in the region and called on all Member States to join the fight while addressing the underlying factors leading to the emergence and growth of the phenomenon.
He informed them of plans to visit the front-line countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to gain a first-hand understanding of the real challenges in countering terrorist groups and what ECOWAS can do to assist those countries.
More than four years after adopting the Strategy and Plan of Action to eradicate terrorism in West Africa, ECOWAS has made little progress, and terrorism in the region has worsened.
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source: CitiNewsRoom