By Our Reporter
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu was re-elected as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) during the 65th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
The session took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Sunday, July 7, 2024. Tinubu, who first assumed ECOWAS leadership in May 2023, was reaffirmed in his role during the gathering.
In his opening remarks at the summit, President Tinubu called on ECOWAS member states to make financial commitments to combat terrorism in the region.
“As we move to operationalize the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism, I must emphasize that the success of this plan requires not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources,” Tinubu said. “We must therefore ensure that we meet the expectations and recommendations set forth by our ministers of defense and finance to counter insecurity and stabilize our region. Member states must make extra commitments to providing resources for stabilizing the region.”
In recent years, ECOWAS has faced a wave of coups in member nations, with Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso being taken over by junta leaders. In response, ECOWAS imposed sanctions, including border closures, on these countries. Although the sanctions were lifted in February, the countries subsequently left the regional bloc, forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
During the AES maiden summit on Saturday in Niamey, Niger Republic’s military leader Abdourahamane Tiani criticized ECOWAS for its handling of jihadist incursions into the region, stating, “Our people have irrevocably turned their backs on ECOWAS.”