The Chiefs of Defence Staff of the West African countries have been called upon to reject any further attempts to impose unelected national governments in the subregion.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, made the call at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
Musa spoke as chairman of the Committee of ECOWAS chiefs of defence staff during a meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He stated that we should resist this “undemocratic change of government” in favour of democracy.
He said a change of government by undemocratic means will have unintended consequences and threaten democratic values in the sub-region.
He asserts that we must completely discourage the threat of a military takeover of the government, as it undermines the fundamental duties of the military profession.
He said, “Recent challenges like the military coup in some countries in the region have had unintended consequences and have threatened our collective democratic values.
“This threat must be destroyed as it negates our core responsibilities as military professionals. Therefore, let me use this opportunity to emphasise that, as democratic countries, we in the military must uphold democratic values in line with our various constitutions.”
Musa noted that the meeting would prevent coups and ensure peace and sustainable development for citizens in West Africa.
He said, “I am also optimistic that this meeting will assist us in preventing such abnormalities while strengthening our collective resolve to bring about peace and sustainable development for our people.
“Accordingly, the complexity of this meeting necessitates that we leverage our collective efforts, share intelligence, and coordinate our efforts across borders if we are to solve these challenges.”
“Thus, collaboration is paramount, and I encourage you to address both the root causes and symptoms of this security in our region. We carefully crafted the agenda for this meeting to focus on critical areas and incorporate our previous engagements.
“Some of these critical areas include the proposed Air Force Security Support Mission in Sierra Leone and the activation of the Air Force Standby Force against terrorism.
“Other issues to be considered are the development of the Air Force Logistics Depot in Sierra Leone and Air Force Peace Support Operations.” As we embark on today’s discussions, I must remind us all that your insights and experiences are paramount to supporting our shared mission.”
