West African military chiefs attend security summit

By Lalla Sy

West African military chiefs on Wednesday began a three-day summit in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to discuss the escalating jihadist insurgency in the Sahel region. 

The senior officers from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) will discuss the ongoing withdrawal of the French Barkhane troops carrying out counter-terrorism efforts in the Sahel, and the Africa Union’s proposal to deploy 3,000 troops to the region, the Ivorian newspaper Fraternite Matin reported. 

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have been batting an Islamist militants' insurgency for years. On 10 November, Togo confirmed the first militant attack on its territory.

The three-day summit will assess current operations and reflect on the prospects for improving security in the Ecowas zone. 

The Chiefs of Staff Committee is a support body for Ecowas that brings together all the chiefs of the armed forces and is responsible for conflict prevention and management in the region. 

They will visit the Jacqueville International Academy for Combating Terrorism.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

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