By Bright Ntramah
President Akufo-Addo says the recent decision by Authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to withdraw from ECOWAS does not auger well for the security and stability of West Africa.
Citing the recent political turmoil in Senegal, President Akufo-Addo noted that it has created a loophole for miscreants to perpetuate insecurity in the region and deepen the migration crisis.
Together with other Heads of State and government of ECOWAS, the President assured the community of amicable solutions to insecurity and migration challenges.
He was speaking in Accra at the 3rd Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum.
The forum seeks to provide a platform for robust engagement on critical peace and security and Migration issues affecting the African continent. It is also to honour the work of former UN Secretary General, Kofi Anna and foster peace and stability through the provision of a globally recognised capacity and policy support for all actors on African peace and security issues.
The Kofi Annan Forum brought together over two hundred invited delegates, including former African Heads of State and Government, high-level diplomats, and other participants from governmental and intergovernmental organisations. Delegates also included representatives of security sector institutions and policy and research think tanks, development partners, training institutions, business leaders and other groups such as journalists, youth activists, and women’s groups.
The Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre, Maj Gen Richard Addo Gyane, noted that a major problem facing West Africa is increasing migration. This he attributed to porous borders and lack of understanding of the ECOWAS protocol on movement of people and goods.
President Akufo-Addo said data shows that three point five billion people in the world are exposed to the impact of climate change. He said the declining population in advanced countries is forcing increased demand for foreign workers to enhance the long term viability of those economies.
This has resulted in mass exodus of critical staff, such as doctors and nurses, to the so-called rich countries.
On the National front, the President said rural urban drift has led to depletion of the food basket of the essential manpower requirement. He said the ECOWAS region is grappling with multiple sources of insecurity that include violent extremism and democratic reversals.
The 2024 Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum is under the theme: Migration and Societal Resilience in a Multipolar World Order: Addressing Conflicts and Building Peace in Africa.