3rd Annual ECOWAS Civilian Focal Points and Training Centres of Excellence (TCES) Meeting

The ECOWAS Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security (DPKRS) through its Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD) holds its Third Annual ECOWAS Civilian Focal Points and Training Centres of Excellence (TCEs) Meeting from 24th to 26 September 2024 in Conakry, Republic of Guinea. The meeting aims to enhance the knowledge of the focal points about the civilian dimension of the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) and the ECOWAS civilian standby capacity roster.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,Regional Integration and Guineans Abroad, Ambassador Elhadji Ibrahima DIALLO. Also, at the opening ceremony was His Excellency Louis-Blaise AKA-BROU, Resident Representative of the ECOWAS in the Republic of Guinea, who was represented by Mr. Salifu ILLIASU, the Political Adviser, who spoke on the timeliness and relevance of the meeting considering that little is known about the civilian dimension of the ESF.

The Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security was represented by the Ag Head of the PSOD, Dr Adamu SANI. Among the participants included the Head of the Civilian Component, Mr Bekaye COULIBALY. Also in attendance were the staff of the PSOD and identified civilian focal points from the fifteen ECOWAS Member States including Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger; the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and the Training Centres of Excellence (TCEs).