LEADERS of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are showing heightened interest in the security threats along the corridor between Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia. They believe that it could engulf the entire sub-region.
They are expressing concern that armed bands roaming the border could set back the situation in Cote d'Ivoire, which is gradually returning to stability after a debilitating post-election crisis, as well as upset the fragile peace in Liberia, ahead of October elections.
A one-day mini summit of the heads of state of Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal ended in Abuja at the weekend, mandating the commission's president to convey a meeting of chiefs of defence staff and police chiefs to among others map out realistic strategies to jointly tackle security in the sub-region.
The ECOWAS commission in its explanatory summary of the outcome of the summit said the corridor was now "characterised by the criminal activities of non-state armed groups, by the presence and circulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and by the plight of refugees, returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)"
Having reviewed the potential impact of the situation on the forth-coming elections in Liberia, particularly in the light of the tensions generated recently, and the probability of the armed groups and being used to perpetrate violence and disrupt the elections.
In recognition of this, the leaders urged the United Nations (UN) to reinforce its two peacekeeping missions in Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia, in terms of personnel and equipment, "so it can patrol the border areas more effectively."
The mini summit had further urged the UN to intensify joint UNOCI-UNMIL monitoring and control of the common border zone between the two countries. To that end, requested the UN to provide additional technical assistance to the peacekeeping missions.
The leaders also resolved to "continue to work closely with the UN in line with the UNSC Resolution 2000 (2011), with a view to creating the requisite environment for the conduct of peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in Liberia on October 11, 2011."
Speaking further on the sub-regional groups extraterrestrial moves on the observed lapse in the security corridor between the two countries, the ECOWAS director of communications, Mr. Sunny Ugo, said: "It is a matter of taking necessary precautions.
We want to avert a possible crisis there. That is why the leaders voted to send a delegation to the UN headquarters in New York on the need for the two to collaborate in enhancing security along the border between Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia"
He added: "The delegation would meet with UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, on the sidelines of the forthcoming UN General Assembly to ensure the cooperation of the global body and the regional bloc. The two countries are receivers of UN peacekeeping personnel. What we have also done is to reiterate that ECOWAS would not tolerate any acts of incitement and provocation during the electoral process, or refusals of the outcome of free and fair elections. In this respect, they also declared zero tolerance for any attempt to oppose the verdict of the ballot box."
The Guardian