General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has expressed concern over recent military takeovers in some West African countries, highlighting their unintended consequences and threats to democratic values in the region.
Speaking at the 42nd Ordinary Meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja on Wednesday, General Musa emphasized the need to eliminate the threat of military takeovers, stating that they undermine the core values and responsibilities of the military profession. He stressed that in democratic nations, the military must uphold democratic values in accordance with their constitutions.
Additionally, Defence Minister Mohammed Abubakar and Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar urged regional service chiefs to collaborate effectively to combat terrorism and curb the illicit movement of small arms and light weapons in West Africa.
The meeting, held at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, focused on regional security at a time when ECOWAS is considering establishing a force to address security challenges. Among the 15 expected defence chiefs, representatives from Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and Togo were absent.
During last year’s meeting in August, the defence chiefs had agreed on a comprehensive approach to address the political, security, and diplomatic situation in Niger Republic. However, military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger formed a mutual defence pact and withdrew from ECOWAS in January. In July, leaders from these three countries participated in the first summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), following their exit from ECOWAS, which they accused of being manipulated by Paris and not providing sufficient support for anti-jihadist efforts.