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Troops to be Deployed Along Three West African Countries' Borders
The first batch of the 1,696 soldiers to police the common borders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will be deployed within the next few weeks, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said in a communique issued Monday in Abuja, capital of Nigeria.
The force will be deployed for a renewable period of six months and the contributing countries will sustain their troops for the first 90 days, senior defense officials from Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal agreed at the end of a two-day meeting which opened on January 13.
Nigeria is contributing 776 soldiers, the largest contingent followed by Mali with 500 soldiers, while Niger and Senegal are contributing 200 and 220 respectively, according to the communique.
The troops are being deployed to help prevent armed incursions into the three countries and ensure peace and security in the area. Specifically, they will protect the borders, facilitate the free movement of persons and ensure security for humanitarian agencies and refugees, the communique said.
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