FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Ministers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) convened in Freetown on Wednesday for the 56th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the ministerial level, with discussions focused on regional security, political stability, humanitarian concerns, and the future of regional integration.
The meeting examined a series of key memoranda, including updates on the political and security situation across West Africa, the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force, the humanitarian situation in member states, and progress in operationalising the ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Centres.
Opening the session, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, called for greater unity and cooperation among member states to confront the region’s growing security, political, and humanitarian challenges.
He stressed the importance of strengthening preventive diplomacy, mediation efforts, early warning systems, and accelerating the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Standby Force.
According to him, sustained peace, democratic governance, and stronger regional cooperation remain central to achieving the objectives of the ECOWAS Vision 2050 agenda.
Declaring the meeting officially open, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy Musa Kabba, who also serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to promoting peace, security, and democratic governance across the West African region.
In addition to the security discussions, ministers held a joint session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and the Mediation and Security Council to deliberate on the proposed Compact on the Future of Regional Integration in West Africa.
The session included presentations and discussions on both the Compact and the accompanying Declaration on the Future of Regional Integration. The initiative seeks to strengthen trust between citizens and governments by making regional integration more people-centred, resilient, and responsive to emerging global challenges.
ECOWAS officials said the Compact is designed to reinforce regional cooperation at a time when West Africa is facing evolving geopolitical dynamics, security threats, and the weakening of multilateral institutions, while positioning the bloc to better address the demands of the 21st century.
