Don’t allow terrorists destabilise our region, Buhari urges ECOWAS leaders

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
 

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged leaders of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) not to allow terrorist groups destabilise the region.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Buhari made the call yesterday in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, at the Extraordinary Summit of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on counter-terrorism.
He said: “Our region has made commendable progress in the realization of its regional integration and we must not allow terrorist groups to destabilize our subregion and undermine the aspirations of our people for a safe, secure and prosperous environment. It is, therefore, our collective responsibility not to let up but to win the fight against terrorism and stamp out the scourge from our region.”
President Buhari, who joined other ECOWAS leaders for the special one-day summit, which was also attended by leaders of Chad and Mauritania decried that terrorism had become a major security threat across the globe.
He warned that the activities of terrorist groups constitute a grave danger to peace and security in West Africa, the wider Sahel and the global community.
“The frequency of attacks, the determination and resilience of the terrorist groups as well as the ease with which they raise funds and  acquire sophisticated weapons are matters of serious concern which should engage our attention as a Community. Equally worrisome is the continuing spread of the menace of terrorism in the region and the growing link between terrorism and organized crime.
“This is why we must not relent in our efforts until we defeat the monster completely. And the best way to achieve this objective is through coordinated regional actions and responses against terrorism, insurgency, banditry, inter-communal disputes while we also put in place policies and measures that will address their root causes including the re-establishment and protection of livelihoods,’’ he said.
President Buhari said he expects that the adoption of the road map, priority areas and other recommendations to the Ouagadougou Summit, if properly implemented, would go a long way in addressing the spread of terrorism and violent extremism in the region.