Abuja, 24th August 2019.The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will bring together non-state actors to discuss the fight against terrorism and inter-communal clashes in the region to ensure lasting peace.

The two-day meeting, which will hold in Niamey, Niger on the 26th and 27th August 2019 will provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss the current regional security matters, particularly the fight against terrorism, share experiences on conflict prevention and provide recommendations.

Given the growing threat of terrorism in the region, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government called for an Extraordinary Summit on Counter-Terrorism, which will hold in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on the 14th of September 2019.

The Stakeholders’ meeting will be followed by the joint meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Staff, Chiefs of Security and Intelligence Services on Counter-Terrorism on the 28th and 29th of August 2019 in Niamey.

The two meetings, which precede the Heads of State Extraordinary Summit, are part of a multi-level preparatory process to involve all levels and sectors of the society because of the crucial role they have to play in the fight against terrorism and communal clashes.

At the end of the meetings, a priority action plan on counter-terrorism will be developed which will be presented for the consideration of the Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on the 12th of September 2019 prior to the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government.