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President Kufuor receives UN/ECOWAS joint mission
Accra, Feb. 27, Ghanadot/GNA – President
John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday received a joint UN/ECOWAS
mission that is in Accra as part of on-going consultations
for a regional approach to bring peace, security and
stability to the north of Mali, Niger and Mauritania where
there is renewed rebel activity.
The Tuareg rebels have increased their attacks in recent
times despite attempts by the Governments of these countries
to dialogue.
Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, President of ECOWAS Commission, who
led the mission, said they were in Ghana to brief President
Kufuor of the disturbing situation and to seek his advice on
how to effectively deal with it as was done in Liberia, Cote
d’Ivoire.
He was accompanied by General Lamine Cisse, UN Secretary
General’s Special Representative to West Africa.
They have already been to Guinea, Mauritania, Niger and Mali
and would travel to Burkina Faso to meet with ECOWAS
Chairman, President Blaise Compaore.
Dr Chambas said what was refreshing was the determination by
the international community to work with the sub-regional
body to meet the challenges.
He said the UN was closely collaborating with the Commission
to strengthen the early warning mechanisms to anticipate
some of these problems to ensure peace and stability in the
region.
President Kufuor said it was important to make the African
Union (AU) a part of the effort at finding lasting solution
to the situation in Mali, Niger and Mauritania.
He said he was confident that this would lead to a better
diagnosis to stop the activities of rebels and traffickers.
President Kufuor noted that the borders of Sahelian
countries like Mali and Niger were such that, with their
limited resources, it would be an uphill task if they were
left to tackle the challenges individually.
He said it was on the basis of this that the UN’s
involvement was significant.
GNA
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