ECOWAS summit on terrorism opens in Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - Several West African Heads of State are attending an extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on terrorism in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Saturday.
The President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who is also the acting President of the G5 Sahe,l speaking at the opening of the Summit, said that "the escalation of violence and insecurity have unleashed an unprecedented humanitarian crisis" on the region.
There are millions of internally displaced persons, many military and civilian casualties, schools and health facilities closed and state symbols destroyed.
He said this destabilization has continued because of latent problems between communities in most of the Sahel while "conflicts turn into violent clashes" with many victims."
President Kabore said: "Our States must pool their human, material and intelligence resources, equip and train our Defensc and Security Forces to strengthen their operational capabilities in their fight against this scourge in West Africa."
"Our challenges are significant, whether it is terrorism or other forms of cross-border crime, including the smuggling of arms, drugs and human beings through networks of illegal migration," added President Kabore.
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