The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, says the withdrawal of Mali, Niger republic, and Burkina Faso from the regional bloc will lead to unintended security consequences.
Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of the ECOWAS, Abdel-Fatau Musah, made assertion, while speaking at the 42nd ordinary session of the Committee of ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja.
He also stressed that their withdrawal would inevitably undermine coordination and cooperation in combating terrorism, human trafficking, and transnational organised crime.
It would be recalled that in January, the three military-led West African nations announced their immediate withdrawal from ECOWAS, accusing the organisation of becoming a threat to its member states.
Musah called on the ECOWAS Defence Chiefs to finalise the planning for the deployment to stabilise Sierra Leone and the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Logistics Depot at Lungi in the Republic of Sierra Leone.
