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General News of Saturday, 17 January 2015

Source: GNA

Mahama advocates synchronization against terrorism

President John Dramani Mahama, Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on Friday suggested the synchronization of strategies in African States, to fight against terrorism and other human molestations.

He said, while Nigeria and Cameroon were plagued with Boko Haram, Somalia and others were also battling against Al-Shabab, a situation he said, called for collective efforts to fight against, to restore peace and order to the continent.

President Mahama who was addressing a press conference at the sidelines of a two-day high level coordination meeting of ECOWAS partners on the fight against the Ebola virus disease in Accra, said terrorism was assuming different dimensions in different regions, and therefore needed concerted efforts to eliminate it.,

The Press conference was to throw light on the efforts ECOWAS was making to stem its incidence in the West African sub-region and beyond.

President Mahama said while Cameroon and Nigeria were considering the option of using the military to meet the terrorists head-on, there was the need to draw other strategies that could expedite their movements against the inhuman practices that had engulfed the region.

He said as the leader of the ECOWAS, he would organise a special session on terrorism in the forthcoming African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to strategize against the menace.

At the summit, President Mahama, hinted that members would re-define protocols to pave way for more effective measures of combating Boko Haram and other inhuman practices that had over the years disturbed peace in the region.

He said re-training of personnel against terrorism was another measure to be considered in the special AU session, but cautioned

member-states to be cautious in dealing with such sensitive issues in their various countries.

President Mahama, however, gave the assurance that in spite of the disturbances of the terrorists, governments of various states would continue to play their roles meaningfully, to ward off all negative measures that undermined the orderly progress of the region.

On the impact of Boko Haram on the Nigerian elections, President Mahama gave the assurance that ECOWAS would offer all the necessary safety measures that would enable Nigeria to organise peaceful and successful elections.

He said his outfit would also continue to work in collaboration with other international development partners, to fight the menace and make Africa a better continent for investment and habitation.