Leaders of the 15-nation west African bloc ECOWAS met on
Friday in Senegal to call for "urgent steps" from the international
community to secure peace in Mali and discuss the creation of a single
currency.
While the economy was expected to top the agenda,
the Economic Community of West African States conference in the capital
Dakar opened and wound up with leaders giving speeches on political
tensions following an upsurge in Islamist violence in neighbouring Mali.
Senegal President Macky Sall welcomed his
recently-elected Malian counterpart Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and urged the
gathered heads of state to "continue efforts to maintain peace and
security in the region".
The regional bloc called for a greater
contribution of troops from the international community to the UN
mission in Mali (MINUSMA) following a recent surge in Islamist attacks.
MINUSMA is meant to eventually reach 12,640 troops
and police. At the end of July it had just over 6,000, but Nigerian and
some Chadian troops have since withdrawn.
France sent troops to Mali in January to halt an
advance on the capital Bamako by Al-Qaeda linked Islamist groups and
allied Tuareg rebels. It plans to reduce its presence from 3,000
soldiers today to 1,000 by the end of January 2014.
Fragile Guinea-Bissau and Guinea were other sources of concern.
ECOWAS Commission chief Kadre Desire Ouedraogo
read out a statement agreed by the leaders as the conference closed
which said a common market and single currency, envisaged by 2020, would
require a commitment to peace, security and stability. (READ: West Africa moves towards regional common market)
"In this regard, the heads of state and government
reaffirm their determination to consolidate the principles of
democracy, good governance, peace and safety..." he said.
'Tremendous effort'
Ecowas chairman President Alassane Ouattara of
Cote d’Ivoire on Friday expressed satisfaction over the agenda and
recommendations submitted to the summit by the ministerial committee.
The Ivorian leader said they would require
"tremendous efforts and greater solidarity" on the part of the Ecowas
leaders to implement them.
The bloc also moved towards endorsing the economic
partnership agreement with the European Union which insists on
increasing the quota of agricultural and mineral exports from the sub
region.
Civil society organizations at the meeting
spiritedly campaigned against such calls by the EU which they deem
unfair for local trade and economic development.
Setting up the common currency should be preceded
by the elimination of roadblocks to the free movement of people and
goods in the region, the summit heard.
The leaders urged the banking sector to reduce lending rates which they said was important in the fight against poverty.
The heads of state present included host Macky
Sall, Blaise Compaoré (Burkina Faso), Alpha Condé (Guinea) Alassane
Ouattara (Côte d'Ivoire), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia), Ibrahima
Boubacar Keïta (Mali), Mouhamadou Issoufi (Niger), Yayi Boni (Benin) and
Faure Gnassingbé of Togo.
Also present were the interim president of Guinea
Bissau Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo, the vice President of Gambia, Madam
Isatou Njie Saidy, the vice president of Ghana Dr Kwesi Amissah Arthur
and Prime Minister of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves.
Established in 1975, Ecowas comprises of 15 countries with a population of nearly 300 million.
SOURCE: AFRICA REVIEW
SOURCE: AFRICA REVIEW
