At the invitation of Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission of the European Union, Ambassador Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, participated in the second edition of the Schuman Forum on Security and Defence. The forum took place in Brussels, Belgium, from May 28 to 29, 2024, under the theme “Acting together for peace, defence and security.” It aimed to bring together high-level players to discuss contemporary security challenges and find lasting solutions within a strengthened partnership framework.
Accompanied by Brigadier General Mactar Diop, Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force (FAC), and Ambassador Dédou P. Jonas Hemou, Permanent Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission to the Commission of the European Union, Commissioner Musah first spoke at a ministerial dinner held behind closed doors on May 28. Chaired by Josep Borrell Fontelles, discussions focused on improving collective responses by strengthening cooperation among various players. On May 29, Musah participated in a plenary session with a high-level panel on “Architecture for sustainable peace: multilateralism and partnership.”
During these forums, Commissioner Musah revisited ECOWAS's history and its commitment to achieving economic integration and promoting democracy and good governance in a community where peace and security prevail. He emphasized that terrorism is the main threat to Sahelian states' security and that combating it successfully requires implementing and strengthening partnerships while respecting regional organizations' remit. He also stressed recognizing multilateralism as a global framework for lasting peace but noted that partners' priorities must be better synchronized and coordinated.
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