|
Momodou
Denmark
11826 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Jun 2007 : 23:22:57
|
ECOWAS HOLDS EXPERTS MEETING
By Sarjo Camara Singhateh
“The 500 million US dollars West African Gas pipeline project which is designed to transport affordable and cleaner energy from Nigeria to Benin, Togo, Ghana and eventually to other West African states will be commissioned this year,” said colonel Mahamane Toure, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affair’s, Peace and Security at an experts meeting organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the Paradise Suites Hotel from the 24-28 June, 2007. The meeting is supported by DANIDA to look into the draft Conflict Prevention Framework. Col. Toure said with the West African Power (electricity) Pool, the initiative demonstrates the abilities of member states to undertake giant projects to underpin greater integration, the creation of jobs and the generation of wealth.
He said similar progress has been made in the fields of transport, telecommunications and ICT to promote free movement of persons, goods and services, and to boast trade with the community. “Thanks to mutually beneficial public-private partnership, the West African shipping company, ECO MARINE, is now operational; plans and feasibility studies are also far advanced to launch the West African airline, ECO AIR, and to develop regional road and rail networks.” he said.
Col. Toure further said progress has been made in agriculture and rural development, which constitutes a crucial sector for regional integration and economic development. He stated that in 2005, Heads of State adopted the common ECOWAS Agricultural policy (ECOWAP) with a plan of action to boost sustainable food security and the eradication of poverty in the region.
The ECOWAS Political Affairs Commissioner said ECOWAS remains the only region in Africa where citizens of the community do not require a visa to visit any country and where all member states are on course to issue a common ECOWAS passport to citizens.
He pointed out that the military agenda, for a time, overshadowed the economic imperatives of ECOWAS, and that the creation of the ECOWAS ceasefire monitoring group (ECOMOG) to intervene in Liberia and Sierra Leone was therefore an act of absolute necessity dictated by the unfolding realities.
In his opening address the Secretary of State for Trade, Industry and Employment, Hon. Abdou Colley, said the ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) was born here in The Gambia in the aftermath of the outbreak of civil war in Liberia in 1989 and that The Gambia deployed one of the first contingents for the ECOMOG intervention in Liberia.
On his part, the former president of the Republic of The Gambia, Sir Dawda Jawara, who chaired the meeting said. “The assurance of peace and security in the sub-region has become a sine qua non for sustainable development and human security, just as increasing, integration, deepening democratization and the improvements on the welfare of the populations are becoming the cornerstone of peace and security. I am delighted that ECOWAS is striking the right balance between the two, as demonstrated by the purpose of today’s meeting”.
Sir Dawda said it has become imperative that the sub-region consolidates the peace by fashioning permanent mechanisms for the peaceful management of differences and to prevent tensions from degenerating into open and violent conflict.
The former Gambian president concluded that this meeting in Banjul is convened to further develop ECOWAS strategic framework for conflict prevention; that it is yet another important step in the efforts to erect permanent people oriented structures for the consolidation of democracy, peace and security in the sub-region.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 74/2007, 27-28 June 2007
|
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
|
Topic Locked
