AYV News, June 7, 2024
Assistant Chief of Defence Staff-Operations and Plans at the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General Amara Idara Bangura has assured that the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force will operate under the Ministry of Defence and the Sierra Leone Police, with its own base and offices, and will provide training opportunities between the two Forces.
He assured the public of Sierra Leone’s stable national security architecture, while explaining that the ECOWAS Force is being deployed to complement the work of the country’s national security forces, not to replace them.
Brigadier General Bangura recalled the failed coup attempt on November 26, 2023, and noted that during the 64th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of States in Abuja, ECOWAS decided to deploy a regional security mission to Sierra Leone to support local security agencies in maintaining peace and stability.
He promised to inform the public about the arrival and number of military personnel from the ECOWAS force, emphasising their supportive role.
Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Information and Civic Education, Bockarie Abdel Aziz Bawoh has said the mandate of the Tripartite Committee does not include conducting a rerun of elections.
He clarified that there is no connection between the ECOWAS Stabilisation force and the Tripartite Committee, adding that the primary role of the committee is to review the country’s electoral systems and provide recommendations for future improvements.
Minister Bawoh also urged citizens to avoid fake news and maintain peace, stressing the importance of accurate information during this period of review and reform.
Head of the ECOWAS Commission Omar Alieu Touray says: “ECOWAS is ready and committed to supporting the people of Sierra Leone, including to strengthen their national security and the deployment, if need be, of regional elements”.
