The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on Wednesday that its Committee of Chiefs of Defence (CoD) Staff extraordinary meeting will take place today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday).
The meeting, which will take place in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, will deliberate on plans to deploy its much-talked-about “Standby Force”.
Read also: Explainer: What is ECOWAS Standby Force?
In attendance will be all the Chiefs of Defence Staff of 13 countries under the ECOWAS emblem, not under military rule.
Information about this meeting was communicated on its official Twitter (X) handle.
This meeting is in continuation of finding a lasting solution to the political situation in Niger Republic, which has threatened to lead the West African country into a civil war.
ECOWAS statement read: “As a follow-up to the directive of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its Extraordinary Summit on the political situation in the Republic of Niger held on 10th August 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria, the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDC) has commenced the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force for the restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
“To this end, the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff will be having an extraordinary meeting in Accra, Ghana from 17th to 18th August 2023 to finalise plans for the deployment of the Standby Force.”
