6th December, 2023
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister and Chairman of the 51st Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC), Amb. Yusuf Tuggar has said that the proliferation of arms and the persistent political instability in West Africa are threats to democracy.
Tuggar said this at the ministerial-level meeting of the council in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said the recently foiled military takeover of governments in Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau were indicators of the threat to democracy.
According to the minister, the proliferation of arms, the prevalence of terrorism, and violent extremism continue to pose significant threats to peace, stability, and development in the African region.
He, therefore, urged members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to collectively proffer solutions to the current challenge to engender sustainable peace and stability in the continent.
“Your presence here reaffirms our collective commitment and dedication to promoting peace, security, and socio-economic development as well as political stability in the West African sub-region.
“As we convene here today, we are acutely aware of the pressing challenges facing our region and the need for collective action to frontally address them,’’ he said.
Tuggar noted that there have been significant initiatives undertaken to find lasting solutions to the political and security situation challenges confronting the sub-region.
He said one of such initiatives “is the launch of the Joint Platform for Advancing Cyber Security in West Africa to protect the region’s critical infrastructure in the fight against economic sabotage.
“In the spirit of inclusivity, I also appreciate the support of member states in tackling the political challenges confronting the sub-region, in particular, and our collective efforts to create more channels of communication and negotiation with the countries under transition.
“Together, we will overcome these challenges,’’ he added.
The minister said the meeting would allow countries to exhaustively discuss collective existential challenges and devise strategies to tackle the emerging threats for the overall well-being of the various communities and citizens.