Several heads of state of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), representing alone 500 million Africans, have converged since yesterday in Lomé, the Togolese capital. They take part in the joint summit on peace, security, radicalization and violent extremism, initiated by Faure Gnassingbé.
Announced since April 2018 by the UN Regional Office based in Libreville, this meeting is being held in a context marked by the presence of the Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram in both regions. To this end, indicates a press release, it “figures prominently in the agenda of heads of state of these different areas concerned.” And the situations in Mali and in the Sahel are not the rest, says one.
This summit will have to give birth to a Lomé Declaration, which will recognize states’ commitments to the implementation of an alliance “to” strengthen efforts, develop synergies and tackle together are facing both organizations.
In the evening of Sunday, July 29, the presence of Central African Faustin-Archange Touadera, Burkinabé Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, Congolese Denis Sassou Nguesso, Senegalese Macky Sall and Guinea-Bissau Jose Mario Vaz.
To this horde of heads of state welcomed at the airport, by Faure Gnassingbé, added Muhammadu Buhari from Nigeria, Alassane Ouattara from Ivory Coast, Georges Weah from Liberia, Nana Akufo-Addo from Ghana, Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, Alpha Conde of Guinea, Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger and Manuel Pinto da Costa of Sao Tome and Principe.
Among the absences are Pierre Nkurunziza, Paul Kagame, Paul Biya and Joao Lourenço who were represented.
It should be noted that this afternoon, Lomé also hosts the 20th Conference of Heads of State of the West African Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU), and Tuesday, the ordinary summit of ECOWAS.
