A spokesperson of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) said tomorrow’s summit Nigerian capital Abuja would be held on the eve of the inauguration of Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo following recent presidential elections.
The UN Security Council last May 13 voted unanimously to set up a small UN mission to bolster the fragile peace agreement between the government and former rebel groups in the west African state of Ivory Coast.
The mission, known as Minuci, will include 26 military officers charged with liaising with French troops and a West African peacekeeping contingent already in the country, as well as with Ivorian forces.
The resolution established Minuci for an initial period of six months.
France has deployed 3 900 soldiers, who have a UN mandate to police a ceasefire between government and rebel forces.
The one-day Ecowas summit tomorrow will also discuss the situation in the Mano River Union, which groups Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The session is also expected to produce a declaration on peace and security in the region, to include a commitment by the west African leaders to the setting up of a rapid response squad, the Ecowas official said.
The 15-member Ecowas community was established in 1975 to foster economic integration and stability in the region. – Sapa-AFP.
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