Peace, security high on ECOWAS summit agenda

Leaders of the 16-member Economic Community of West African States began their 22nd summit on Thursday in Lome, Togo, during which they will review proposals by their foreign ministers for a regional peace and security observation system, an ECOWAS official told IRIN. This facility, approved by the leaders in October 1998, will monitor and attempt to contain potential conflicts such as those which occurred in Liberia and, more recently, Sierra Leone. Under the plan, a monitoring centre is to be established at the ECOWAS secretariat in Abuja, capital of Nigeria. The centre is to be headed by an executive secretary in charge of political affairs, defence and security, `The Guardian' of Lagos reported. The centre is to set up observation bureaux in Banjul (Gambia), Cotonou (Benin) Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and Monrovia (Liberia), according to an ECOWAS document on the ministerial meeting. These offices would gather information on factors likely to disturb the peace in the subregion. They will also monitor implementation of the moratorium on the import, export and manufacture of small arms and drug trafficking in the area. Another proposal is to form a council of elders that would mediate in potential conflicts.