Leaders to tackle barriers to free movement of people

West African leaders have decided to establish a permanent road- barrier surveillance machinery to eliminate the obstructions to travel between Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries. The decision came at the 22nd ECOWAS Summit, which took place on Thursday and Friday of last week. The meeting noted that although there is an ECOWAS protocol on the free movement of people and property, there are a large number of checkpoints along many of West Africa's highways. Nigeria announced that it was removing all checkpoints on roads linking it to its neighbours: Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Other decisions taken at the summit include the establishment of an ECOWAS parliament and court of justice, whose location is yet to be decided. ECOWAS Executive Secretary Lansana Kouyate was told to take the steps needed to recruit judges and ensure that the parliament is set up as soon as possible.