By Nkechi Eze
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has commended Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for hosting the maiden edition of the Meeting of African Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja at what it described as a critical period when the continent is grappling with numerous existential security challenges.
In a statement issued during the summit, ECOWAS also moved to correct what it called a typographical error in its earlier communication regarding the proposed regional counterinsurgency force. The Commission explained that while its opening statement at the Defence Chiefs’ meeting quoted a figure of 260,000 troops, the correct figure is 5,000 troops, starting with an initial deployment of 1,650 troops.
“The Commission regrets the error and wishes to request that the press reflect this correction to avoid further misconceptions about the force,” the statement read.
The regional bloc stressed that the counterinsurgency force forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collective security across Africa and tackle evolving threats such as terrorism, insurgency, and transnational organized crime.
By hosting the inaugural Defence Chiefs’ summit, Nigeria’s General Christopher Musa was praised by ECOWAS for his leadership role in advancing security dialogue and cooperation on the continent, particularly at a time when African nations are under pressure to forge more cohesive and coordinated defence strategies.
