The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is finalising plans to deploy a regional stabilisation force in 2027 as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against terrorism and insecurity across the sub-region.
The regional bloc has also commenced the movement of critical military and logistics equipment to its logistics depot in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to support the planned operation.
Speaking during an inspection of the equipment at Mogadishu Barracks, Abuja, ahead of its shipment to Sierra Leone, ECOWAS Commissioner for Internal Services and Chief Logistics Officer, Dr Habibu Yaya Bappah, commended Nigeria for its continued leadership and support to the organisation.
Bappah, who inspected the equipment alongside the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, said the items were donated by the Chinese government to support ECOWAS peace-support operations in West Africa.
He said the equipment, which had remained at Mogadishu Barracks for some time because the regional logistics depot was not ready, would now be transported to Freetown for deployment.
According to him, the consignment includes camp beds, command-and-control communication equipment and other logistics materials that would strengthen the capacity of security forces involved in counter-terrorism operations.
“We are very grateful to the Armed Forces of Nigeria and, of course, to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his support to ECOWAS, not only on peace and security matters, but also on development matters,” Bappah said.
He added that some of the equipment would be sent to Benin Republic, which he described as the latest country in the region to come under increasing pressure from terrorist activities.
Bappah said the support was part of ECOWAS’ efforts to assist Benin in confronting the growing threat of terrorism.
Also speaking, Musah described the inspection at Mogadishu Barracks as symbolic and important, particularly in view of the worsening security situation across West Africa.
He disclosed that ECOWAS was working towards deploying a counter-terrorism brigade by the middle of 2027.
“With the issue of terrorism that is affecting the region, we need to deploy a force very soon, and we intend to do so, a counter-terrorism brigade by the middle of next year,” Musah said.
He explained that the planned force would require field headquarters across the region, adding that some of the equipment being moved to Freetown would be used to establish such mobile headquarters.
Musah noted that most of the equipment was non-lethal and had remained in storage for several years.
He expressed appreciation to the Nigerian government for agreeing to facilitate the transportation of the equipment from Abuja to Freetown, where it would be integrated into ECOWAS’ regional logistics system.
As a gesture of appreciation, Musah said ECOWAS had decided to donate part of the equipment to the Nigerian Armed Forces in recognition of the country’s continued contribution to regional peace, security and integration.
The development comes as ECOWAS intensifies efforts to strengthen its collective response to terrorism and other security threats confronting member states.
