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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has unveiled a series of strategic publications aimed at preserving decades of peacekeeping experience and strengthening evidence-based responses to terrorism, violent extremism and other security challenges confronting the region.
The publications were unveiled in Abuja, as ECOWAS brought together key defence and security leaders, diplomats, policymakers, scholars, civil society groups and development partners to reflect on the regional bloc’s three decades of peace interventions, mediation and peacebuilding efforts, a statement said on Monday.
The initiative is designed to preserve the institutional memory of ECOWAS' peace and security operations, capture lessons from past interventions and provide strategic knowledge to support future responses to conflict and instability across West Africa.
The occasion also witnessed the recognition of former commanders and deputy commanders of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), as well as journalists who covered civil wars from the frontlines across the region.
Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, was among the prominent personalities who attended the event.
Others included the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah; ECOWAS Commissioner for Internal Services, Dr. Wakiby Bappah; and the Chairman of the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee, Ambassador Nicolas Auguste Nyouky.
Members of the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo were also present.
The event was also attended by former ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Salamatu Suleiman; founder of the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Eghosa Osaghae.
Representatives of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), academic institutions and other strategic partners participated in the discussions.
ECOWAS said the new body of publications draws from the Community’s extensive experience in responding to conflicts, political crises and instability in West Africa.
The materials are expected to serve as important references for governments, regional institutions, security agencies, researchers and other stakeholders involved in conflict prevention, mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.
For more than three decades, ECOWAS has played a major role in promoting peace and stability in the region, particularly through mediation, diplomacy and peace support operations.
The establishment and deployment of ECOMOG marked a defining period in the history of regional security cooperation, with the force playing key roles in efforts to restore peace in conflict-affected countries.
Participants at the Abuja event stressed the need to preserve lessons from those interventions, especially at a time when West Africa is facing increasingly complex security challenges.
Terrorism, violent extremism and instability in parts of the Sahel have continued to pose significant threats to peace and development, making regional cooperation and effective security strategies more important.
The new publications are intended to help strengthen institutional learning by ensuring that the experiences and lessons of past ECOWAS operations remain available to those responsible for shaping future policies and interventions.
A major highlight of the event was the honouring of former ECOMOG commanders and their deputies in recognition of their sacrifices and contributions to regional peace and security.
Journalists who reported from the frontlines during civil wars were also recognised for documenting the conflicts and preserving accounts of some of the most significant periods in West Africa's recent history.
The recognition, ECOWAS said, reflects the importance of remembering the individuals and institutions that contributed to peacekeeping and peacemaking efforts in the region.
The launch further highlighted the role of collaboration among governments, security institutions, civil society organisations, academic institutions and international partners in building sustainable peace.
By documenting its past experiences and making the lessons accessible to relevant stakeholders, ECOWAS hopes to strengthen its capacity to respond to current and future security threats.
The strategic publications, therefore, represent an effort by the regional bloc to transform decades of peacekeeping and peacebuilding experience into practical knowledge that can support more informed decisions and effective interventions.
As West Africa continues to confront evolving security threats, ECOWAS said the preservation of institutional memory and the use of evidence-based approaches would remain critical to building a more peaceful, secure and stable region.