The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders have pledged $1 billion to combat the spiraling threat of Islamist militancy in the region. The president Mahamadou Issoufou said the money would finance the joint forces and intelligence gathering.
The fifteen members of the West African bloc and the presidents of Mauritania and Chad had gathered for an extraordinary summit in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, to address the growing insecurity. The plan, to be funded from 2020 to 2024, was announced at end of the Economic Community Summit of West African States.
The money would help counter the rising violence and also fight jihadists; whose actions have led to three million people being displaced in the various member countries. The monies would help interfere with the networks established by the terrorists and suppliers that allow them access to funds and acquired sophisticated weapons.
The financial package will be used to equip national defense and multinational forces, and to strengthen intelligence services in the region, as terrorism scaled up in the G5 Sahel countries (Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Chad, Mali) and now seriously threatens the coastal countries.
