The 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government has tasked the Ecowas Commission to send a mission to The Gambia to assess the financial implications of maintaining Ecomig.
Ecomig troops were deployed in The Gambia in January 2017 to restore peace following a political crisis after President Yahya Jammeh refused to cede power. The mission was designed to uphold the election results and prevent violence, ultimately facilitating a peaceful transition to President Adama Barrow.
But the troops’ presence has since transitioned into a stabilising role, focusing on training and security sector reform to support ongoing political processes in The Gambia.
Despite several calls from civil society organisations and ordinary Gambians for the withdrawal of the troops, Ecowas continues to support their presence in the country.
In an announcement contained in the final communiqué of the summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, the regional leaders instruct the commission to deploy a mission to assess the financial implications of Ecomig and to evaluate the current security and political situations in The Gambia.
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The authority said the mission will focus on the status, mandates and operations of the Ecomig Mission against the background of the evolving political and security contexts of The Gambia.
The heads of state noted the impactful contribution of the mission in The Gambia, thanked the contributing countries and encouraged The Gambia’s efforts in rightsizing and upscaling its defence and security forces.
