Eurasia Press & News
Leaders of the 15-nation west African bloc Ecowas met on Friday in Senegal to call for “urgent steps” from the international community to secure peace in Mali and discuss the creation of a single currency.
While the economy was expected to top the agenda, the Economic Community of West African States conference in the capital Dakar opened and wound up with leaders giving speeches on political tensions following an upsurge in Islamist violence in neighbouring Mali.
Senegal President Macky Sall welcomed his recently-elected Malian counterpart Ebrahim Boubacar Keita and urged the gathered heads of state to “continue efforts to maintain peace and security in the region”.
The regional bloc called for a greater contribution of troops from the international community to the UN mission in Mali (Minusma) following a recent surge in Islamist attacks.
Minusma is meant to eventually reach 12,640 troops and police. At the end of July it had just over 6,000, but Nigerian and some Chadian troops have since withdrawn.
France sent troops to Mali in January to halt an advance on the capital Bamako by Al Qaida linked Islamist groups and allied Tuareg rebels. It plans to reduce its presence from 3,000 soldiers today to 1,000 by the end of January 2014.
