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Chambas Urges Regional Approach To Drugs War |
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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has called for a regional approach to deal with the increasing rate of human and drug trafficking as well as terrorist activities in Northern Niger, Mali and Mauritania. |
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, who made the call, said this has become urgent because of renewed rebel activities in the area.
Dr Chambas was speaking at the Castle yesterday when he led the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative to West Africa, General Lamine Cisse, to pay a courtesy call on President J. A. Kufuor.
Dr Chambas said they were at the Castle to brief President Kufuor on the issue and seek his advice on the way forward and how a UN-ECOWAS mission in the areas can effectively function.
"The issue is getting to a point where we need a regional approach to solve it," he said.
The ECOWAS Commission President said efforts were underway to establish close relations with the governments of the countries involved and to strengthen the early warning mechanism.
He said the international community, including the UN, was determined to assist in dealing with the situation.
He urged President Kufuor to use his experience to help the UN-ECOWAS Mission to solve the problem in the areas.
President Kufuor said it was significant that the UN has decided to offer assistance, adding that the gesture shows the world body’s acknowledgement of countries in Africa as emerging ones with myriads of problems.
He noted that lack of resources to solve problems of Africa were usually the case but expressed happiness that the UN has decided to come in.
President Kufuor noted that the troubles in those areas were part of the worrying problems on the continent and said it was even necessary that the African Union itself comes in.
"The AU should be involved to do a better diagnosis of the issue and to ensure that terrorists and the traffickers are not allowed to operate," he said and added, "we should not leave it with the individual nations." |
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