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ECOWAS Denies Deploying Troops on Liberia's Borders Soon
Military Liaison Officer of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Dixon Dikio Tuesday denied that the ECOWAS would deploy its peacekeeping force soon on the Liberian borders.
Dikio said in Nigerian capital Abuja that he was not aware of the temporary deployment plan, adding that only the ECOWAS' Heads of State and Government, who authorized the deployment to the border between Liberia and Guinea, could decide the deployment.
Earlier on Tuesday, Nigerian defense sources hinted that the ECOWAS was ready to deploy its troops on the Liberian borders, saying that the deployment favored by the force's high command, could hold back rebel incursions into the territories of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Early in January, senior military officers from four troop- contributing nations agreed to deploy advance troops by 27 January after ECOWAS' Defense and Security Commission approved the deployment of 1,700 troops.
The entire force, with troops to be contributed by Nigeria, Mali, Senegal and Niger, was expected to be operational within a month of the initial deployment. But more than a month after the first deployment was due, the troops are yet to be dispatched.
ECOWAS Executive Secretary Lansana Kouyate explained recently that the delay was caused by the expected "strong mandate of the United Nations Security Council and the signing of the Status of Force Agreement" by Guinea and Liberia.
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