Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) agreed on Sunday to create a regional peacekeeping force that would intervene to help restore constitutional order in the region which has witnessed a number of coups in the past two years. This comes amid an annual summit in Nigeria’s capital Abuja.

“The leaders of ECOWAS have decided to recalibrate our security architecture to ensure that we take care of our own security in the region,” said the president of the ECOWAS commission, Omar Alieu Touray. He added that they are determined to create a regional force that would intervene if required in the areas of security, terrorism and restore the constitutional order in member countries.

However, no specific details were given as the workings of the regional force will be set by the defence ministers of the member nations who will convene in the second half of next year, said the ECOWAS president. This comes after at least three nations Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso have witnessed military coups in the last two years and have also been suspended from the ECOWAS’ decision-making bodies.

The West African nations’ leaders have expressed concern about the 46 Ivorian soldiers who have been detained in Mali and have asked the Malian authorities to release them by the end of this month. If they fail to do so, ECOWAS will impose sanctions, a West African diplomat told AFP.

The troops were detained earlier this year, following their arrival at the airport in Mali’s capital, Bamako. Ivory Coast has previously said that those troops were sent as a backup for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country and has since criticised their detention.

The West African leaders have also said that they are observing the nations’ progress on restoring constitutional order and about Mali “it is essential that constitutional order returns within the planned time frame”, said Touray.

Meanwhile, the ECOWAS said that military leadership in Guinea should engage in dialogue with the politicians and parties in the country and work towards restoring civilian rule.

Furthermore, referring to Burkina Faso, Touray said that the leaders have expressed “serious concerns” about the ongoing humanitarian crisis following the military coup in October but also pledged support for the country.

Image courtesy: Kola Sulaimon/AFP