ECOWAS and UN Renew Disarmament Cooperation Pact
AFRICA
Abuja — The Economic Community of West African States Commission and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, through its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, signed an addendum this week to their 2009 cooperation agreement. The signing took place August 21 at ECOWAS headquarters and reaffirms joint work on arms control, non-proliferation, and conflict prevention across the region.
The renewed pact arrives as West Africa continues to face instability linked to armed groups and cross-border weapons flows, particularly in the Sahel-adjacent members of the bloc. Officials from both organizations framed the addendum as a step toward strengthening regional cooperation mechanisms rather than a response to any single incident.
The agreement is the latest in a series of institutional moves this year aimed at consolidating ECOWAS's security architecture following the bloc's continued recalibration after several member states' exit to form a rival Sahel confederation.
Photo: ecowas.int