ECOWAS moves closer to unified military force

Looks like ECOWAS is moving closer to an RDF-style brigade. Note that this is not the proposed force for Guinea, but had a force like this been ready, they could've been deployed there.

Following the conclusion of a three-day conference in Freetown, ECOWAS chiefs of defense staff have signed and approved a standby brigade force for Sierra Leone.

Addressing journalists at a press briefing, head of the Nigerian army, air chief marshal Paul Dike said the approval was expected to boost ECOWAS participation as a major stakeholder in the AU exercise designed to test the operational readiness of the Africa standby forces.

Marshal Paul said the operational framework roadmap covered the period 2006 to 2009, adding that the country was among others to get an ECOWAS standby structure force, brigade structure and component.

"The main brigade will reflect military discipline, multidimensional and multifaceted capacities of peace support operations," he said.

He observed that some ECOWAS countries face a lot of challenges, noting that the chiefs of defense staff have committed themselves to providing the additional logistics of the brigade's main battalion rapid deployment unit.

By: Brant