Ecowas Scribe Worries Over UNDP Report


Vanguard (Lagos)

July 29, 2002


EXECUTIVE Secretary of ECOWAS, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, has expressed
concern about the latest UNDP report in which most of the 15 member
states were rated among the last 14 countries on the indices of
development. "The report showed we have to work hard to improve the
standard of living of our people, opening the space for investment and
trade to boost our economies," he told the Deputy Commander of the US
European Command, General Carlton Fulford, who led an 11-member US
delegation to the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja.

He said the sub-region had been actively engaged in the promotion of
peace, security and stability, which are critical ingredients for ensuring
an atmosphere conducive for the realization of the objectives of socio-
economic integration being pursued by the organization.

He paid tribute to the US European Command for installing a $5.3
million satellite communication network for ECOWAS that will enable its
tour observation and monitoring bureaus to be linked with the central
operations center at the Secretariat in Abuja.

The bureaux each of which covers a group of countries, are located in
Banjul, Cotonou, Monrovia and Ouagadougou. The observatories, which took
off with funding from the European Union, is an important aspect of the
ECOWAS mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution,
peacekeeping and security.

Dr Chambas called for additional US assistance for the training of
troops dedicated in each member state to ECOMOG operations. He told
the delegation, which included the US ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Howard
Jeter, that the sub-region was working on establishing regional
training centres in Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria as part of its
objective of harmonizing the training of these troops.

He also said the two logistic bases proposed for ECOMOG operations in
the sub-region will help support military and humanitarian operations
in member states and that a joint military delegation from the United
Kingdom, US and France was due at the Secretariat this week to discuss
areas of collaboration with ECOWAS.

Responding to concerns raised by General Fulford, the executive
secretary said ECOWAS has been actively engaged with the problem of
terrorism and that its Chairman, President Abdoulaye Wade, hosted a
meeting in Dakar last year on the issue after the summit in the
Senegalese capital.

He pledged that ECOWAS will collaborate with the US to stamp out
elements engaged in terrorism, saying everybody has a responsibility
to help address this cancer that "targets humanity" without
consideration for the nationalities of their victims.

In his response, General Fulford pledged US assistance for the
training of regional peacekeeping troops. He said the command,
control, communication and computer project installed for the
community will enhance its capability in maintaining peace and there
were possibilities for expanding its potentials to further enhance
this capacity. He said the US will adapt its assistance to the
sub-region to the needs of the Secretariat and member state.

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