ECOWAS and Algeria have agreed to hold regular discussions on the political and security situation in West Africa and the Sahel, as well as the plight of irregular migrants. This commitment was announced by H.E. Dr Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, and H.E. Ahmed ATTAF, Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad, following their meeting in Algiers on April 23-26, 2024.During the meeting, Dr Omar Alieu Touray expressed his satisfaction at the willingness and commitment of the Algerian authorities to contribute to resolving... Read More »

The Regional Fund for Agriculture and Food (RFAF) recently held its 2nd Supervisory Board meeting where important decisions were made regarding the operationalization and management of the fund. In a press release, the RFAF_SB 2024 announced, "Regional Fund for Agriculture and Food (RFAF): the 2nd Supervisory Board Validates and Adopts the Operationalisation and Management Instruments."The validation and adoption of these operationalization and management instruments signify a significant step forward for the RFAF in fulfilling its mandate to support agriculture and food... Read More »

The recent meeting of the ECOWAS Council of the Wise resulted in the issuance of the Abidjan Declaration on May 2, 2024.During the meeting, several key figures shared their perspectives:1. "The Abidjan Declaration reaffirms our commitment to promoting peace and security in the West African region," said Chairperson of the ECOWAS Council of the Wise, Dr. Aminata Toure.2. "We must continue to engage in dialogue and diplomacy to address the root causes of conflict," emphasized Secretary-General of ECOWAS, Mr. Ibrahim Sani.3. "The Abidjan Declaration lays out a roadmap... Read More »

The Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, H. E. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, recently led a delegation to Washington, D.C. with the aim of enhancing Early Warning and Early Response capabilities in West Africa through strategic partnerships.During the visit, the main objective was to engage with key partners to bolster collaboration in capacity building for Early Warning and Early Response, with a focus on enhancing human security. One significant outcome of the mission is the potential collaboration with the Georgetown Institute of Women, Peace, and Security (GIWPS) to... Read More »

The ECOWAS Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Ambassador Kinza Jawara-Njai, recently delivered a keynote address at the University of Massachussetts-Boston’s 6th Africa Day and 2024 Academic Conference. The theme of the event was "Democratic Backsliding in West Africa: Contradictions, Challenges, and Difference."In her speech, Ambassador Jawara-Njai focused on the topic of "Why West African Democracy is on the Right Path despite Challenges." She highlighted the efforts of ECOWAS in promoting democracy, good governance, and development in West Africa, emphasizing... Read More »

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) recently held a crucial meeting in Banjul, The Gambia, where the Subcommittee of the Judicial Council convened to review its rules of procedure. The meeting, which took place from April 29th to May 1st, 2024, brought together esteemed Chief Justices and legal dignitaries from various ECOWAS Member States.During the opening of the meeting, Justice Hassan B. Jallow, the Hon. Chief Justice of The Gambia and Chairman of the Sub-Committee, emphasized the importance of revising the Council’s Rules of Procedure. He also... Read More »

The Head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Election Observation Mission, Mrs Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, expressed her satisfaction with the smooth organization of the double election in Togo. She visited several polling stations in Lomé and praised the timely opening and peaceful conduct of electoral procedures.Accompanied by a team of officials, Mrs Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang and her colleagues visited the ECOWAS Situation Room set up for the parliamentary and regional elections. The team is in constant contact with ECOWAS Observers deployed in... Read More »

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Judicial Council held a three-day sub-committee meeting on the enforcement of the judgements of the Community Court of Justice in Dakar, Senegal, from April 23rd to 25th, 2024. The meeting aimed to examine rules and texts related to the enforcement of the Court’s judgments and explore the possibility of establishing an Appeals Chamber.In his opening remarks, the President of the Chamber of the Supreme Court of Senegal, Hon. Justice Jean Louis Paul Toupane, welcomed the subcommittee members and emphasized the... Read More »

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is actively engaged in the "High-Level Workshop on Regional Integration" currently taking place in Kasane, Botswana. The workshop, held both physically and virtually, is focused on the theme "43 Years of Regional Integration: Where are we and way forward”.The workshop aims to deepen understanding, enhance collaboration, and coordinate efforts towards advancing the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Integration Agenda. Attendees, including Senior Officers from SADC, African Union, UNECA, ECOWAS, and... Read More »

The ECOWAS Council of the Wise has convened a two-day retreat in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to address the pressing governance, peace, and security challenges in the West African region. The retreat, themed "Leveraging and Responding to the Current Governance, Peace, Security Challenges in the Ecowas Region," aims to reinvigorate the council and enhance its role in promoting peace, security, and stability.During the retreat, the council members will focus on various issues, including the resurgence of military coups, democratic reversals, electoral irregularities, political... Read More »

The Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) has been lauded for its ten years of service in advancing agricultural development in West Africa and the Sahel. During the recent meeting of the RAAF Strategic Orientation Committee in Lomé, members had the opportunity to review the agency's progress.According to the ten-year capitalisation report presented during the meeting, RAAF has made significant strides in promoting agricultural development and food security in the region. Through collaborations with Member States, technical institutions, and development... Read More »

ECOWAS bids farewell to Mr Ousseini Salifou, the First Executive Director of the Regional Agriculture and Food Agency (RAAF), as he embarks on a well-deserved retirement after a successful tenure. Mr Salifou's leadership and dedication have significantly contributed to the implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP).Having led RAAF since July 2013, Mr Salifou was instrumental in the development and implementation of key agricultural initiatives within the region. His previous role as the ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment, and Water... Read More »

Stakeholders involved in the implementation of projects and programmes under the Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) recently gathered to review the activities of 2023. The meetings of the regional steering committees for projects and programmes (COPILS) took place in Lomé, Togo, from 22 to 24 April 2024, under the leadership of the ECOWAS Commission.During the discussions, it was emphasized that "working together is a key driver for better coordination at the regional level," as highlighted in the press release of CoPils 2024. This sentiment underscores the importance... Read More »

The former Gambian Vice-President, Mrs Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, recently conducted a briefing session for the forty observers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Election Observation Mission in Togo. During the session, she emphasized the importance of professionalism and objectivity, stating, "We are here to monitor the election, not to give instructions or dictate things."Mrs Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang also encouraged a peaceful conduct of the upcoming legislative and regional elections in Togo, highlighting their significance in contributing to... Read More »

The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, has announced the deployment of an Election Observation Mission to Togo. The mission, consisting of forty observers, is tasked with monitoring the legislative and regional elections set to take place on 29 April 2024."This mission is in line with the provisions of Article 12 of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and constitutes support from the regional organisation to its Member States for the conduct of their elections," stated Dr... Read More »

ECREEE, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, unveiled a new website on April 22, 2024. The website is designed to provide easy access to information on sustainable energy initiatives in the ECOWAS region and promote awareness of ECREEE's efforts in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency in West Africa.The website features a user-friendly interface, intuitive navigation, mobile-friendly design, and updated content. It aims to provide users with easy access to information about ECREEE, its... Read More »

Ambassador Jainaba Jagne, Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the African Union and Chairperson of the African Union Peace and Security Council, highlighted the challenges facing Africa, stating, "The African continent is currently facing the scourges of terrorism and violent extremism, as well as the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government."During a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, between the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the Mediation and Security Council of ECOWAS, Ambassador Jainaba Jagne emphasized the impact of these issues on... Read More »

The ECOWAS Commission's department for Political Affairs, Peacekeeping, and Security recently hosted a delegation from the African Union, UN Human Rights, and the EU delegation to the AU for strategic talks aimed at operationalizing the Africa Peace Support Missions. The focus of the meeting was on integrating and implementing the African Union Accountability and Compliance Framework (AUCF) into peacekeeping missions across the region to ensure seamless operations without human rights violations.Dr. Abdul-Fatau Musa, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, expressed... Read More »

24April 2024. Lomé, Togo - Adding to the efforts already undertaken at both national and regional level, the ECOWAS Regional Veterinary Committee continues to reflect, under the facilitation of the Regional Animal Health Center (RAHC), on the best approaches to accelerate the control and eradication of this scourge in the region by 2030.The 4th meeting of the ECOWAS Veterinary Committee held in Lomé (Togo), from 18 to 19 April 2024, provided an opportunity for the veterinary services of ECOWAS Member States, including Mauritania and Chad, to discuss the progress made,... Read More »

The ECOWAS Women Peace and Security Regional Steering Group for 2024 was officially launched in Abuja, with a focus on sustaining the momentum towards monitoring and reporting on the Women, Peace, and Security agenda in West Africa using the Continental Results Framework (CRF).Nigeria's commitment to women's leadership in peace and security was highlighted by H.E. Mrs. Barr. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, who stated, "With robust national action plans and localized security resolutions, Nigeria is spearheading efforts... Read More »