By: Mercy Peter
Government experts’ from the Economic Community of West African States are meeting in Abuja to finalise its Logistics Depot policies for equipping the regional standby force.
The ECOWAS Logistics Depot based in Lungi, Sierra Leone is expected to be commissioned anytime this year
Speaking at the opening of the validation exercise, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner, Political Affairs Peace and Security, ECOWAS Commission said the increased acts of terrorism, violent extremism and political instability within the region has necessitated the urgent need for fully functional and operational static depot.
Musah who was represented by Dr. Sanni Adamu Mohammed, Acting head of peace support operations in ECOWAS, said that the project remains a critical one for peace support operations, explaining that the depot is expected to warehouse all the equipment that are supposed to be deployed for peace support operations .
He said: “The ECOWAS Commission has injected substantial resources towards the construction as well as the operationalisation of the depot, and it remains a critical flagship project for ECOWAS region’s peace support operations infrastructure.
“The increased act of terrorism, violent extremism, and political instability being experienced in a number of our countries, with heavy and dire consequences, are a clear testament to the urgent need for a well-resourced logistics strategy with a fully functional and operational and static depot.”
On why it took the Commisson this long to put in place the Depot, Musah said, “not because of reluctance on the part of management, but because of the need to mobilise the required resources that will enable the Commission to actually put in place a depot that will be, you know, consistent with not only continental but also global best practises. So the depot we are happy is in place now in Lungi, Sierra Leone
“It’s a coastal depot, so anywhere, from anywhere we are shipping, you know, equipment to the depot either by land, air, or sea, we’ll be able to comfortably, you know, evacuate them and put them in the depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone. Well, the ECOWAS standby force is already fully activated. It’s in place.
Like, you know, we have two missions that are currently running in Guinea-Bissau as well as the Gambia. The missions are there, and the troops, you know, from the standby force are the ones there. The activation of the ECOWAS standby force to fight terrorism is actually what we are now currently planning to do.
“We need to have the required resources. Already member states have given us the troops that will populate, you know, the contingent that will move, you know, in activation of the standby force in its kinetic form. So we are up and doing to be able to deliver on that task.
“Well, currently, you know, there are a number, multiple processes we need to engage. Firstly, with our various governments to be able to mobilise the resources. We want to see that resources are mobilised internally.
“This is a fight that you need to have internal resources to allow you, you know, comfortably confront the challenges. Instead of relying on external funding that will not be always sustainable. Sir, I want to ask you something.
“The depot we are talking about, is it for the standby force to fight terrorism or the peacekeeping? No, the standby force and the peacekeeping, this is a comprehensive depot that will enable, you know, ECOWAS to put in place equipment, you know, relevant equipment, you know, for deployments. Either during peace support operations or also during fighting. If you are fighting terrorism.
“So it’s a comprehensive depot, which is multidimensional, you know, in nature. And it’s going to house, you know, all the necessary needs, you know, that will be required. When deploying, either you want to address internal crisis in member states or you want to fight, you know, these terrorist activities.”
He added, “Well, the ECOWAS stand by force is a stand by arrangement where countries in the ECOWAS region contribute their capabilities and capacities to meet challenges, security challenges in the region. Challenges could vary from one form to the other. Whichever one that is prevalent now, we are trained to come together and bring our capacities to respond to it.
“Whichever one it may be, but we must be well trained and equipped with the kind of task, the kind of task that we are not well equipped for. And that’s why this workshop or meeting is to bring all our capabilities for logistics so that we can support operations in the region, be it in peacetime or non-peacetimes, in terms of emergencies, humanitarian situations and other emergencies in the region.”
Air Commodore, Sampson Eyekosi, who is the meeting Chairman said ECOWAS standby force is not taking the role of the Multinational joint taskforce, stressing that Security is a connected thing.
“You cannot work in isolation. It’s not taking any role. We all work together for the attainment of peace and security in the region.”
On the number of personnel to deployed as standby force, Eyekosi said the number would be determined by the threat.
“It is not fixed. The threat determines how big the force will be. But units in member states are placed on alert based on what is pledged to the collective effort. And they are trained together, they are prepared, they are deployed as the situation requires.
He therefore added: “As we all know, it is imperative that the conduct of Peace Support Operations (PSO) in the ECOWAS region requires to be properly guided by a well thought out and proven logistics procedures and processes.
“Likewise, the need to look closely at the nitty-gritty of all essential that is required to be in place to ensure that the ECOWAS Logistic Depot (ELD) at Lungi, Sierra Leone become functional and attains full operational capability in the shortest possible time. “In order to properly structure and organise it up to fully and effectively support on-going and future peace missions in the region. Especially as the ELD is now at the verge of being commissioned this year, with over ninety percent of expected infrastructural work already completed on the facility.
“Furthermore, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, our beloved region calls us now to duty and have deliberately brought together, the brightest professional logistics, administrative and management minds here to brainstorm and produce a final product that will indeed stand the test of time in the real world. This unique opportunity therefore, requires that we all bring to bear our wealth of experience in various aspects or gamut of logistics, administration and management to give back for the interest of our region. Particularly, as it relates to Peace Support Operations in West Africa and Africa as a whole,” he added
