President Mahama arrives in Abidjan for ECOWAS Summit on Mali

President John Dramani Mahama on Friday arrived in Abidjan, the Ivorian capital to participate in a day’s emergency Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) summit to deliberate on rising disturbances in Mali.

The summit, which is being hosted by the Ivorian President, Alassane Quattara, who is also the Chairman of ECOWAS, would among other issues deliberate on the need to repel the movement of Malian rebels who have captured Konna, in the Northern sector of the Sahelian country.

It would also be attended by other ECOWAS members who would discuss and find immediate solutions to the rising crisis in Mali.

In March last year, a group of rebels took up arms to dislocate the Mali government after a coup d’état which led to the death of scores of Malians, necessitating the provision of troops from ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations.

Currently, the country needs over 3,000 troops to be able to maintain reasonable peace, which France, Chad and Nigeria had already contributed some to curtail and contain the insurgence.

The French troop had since, January 10 intensified air strikes in order to maintain a balance and stem the daily destruction of lives and property.

The leaders at the end of the summit would issue a communiqué that would mandate them to undertake measures that would bring normalcy to the West African State.

Source: GNA