President Maada Bio with Presidents of Ghana, Nana Akuofo Addo (top) and Senegal, Macky Sall

Abubakar Hashim

Presidents of Ghana, Nana Akuofo Addo and Senegal, Macky Sall, arrived in Freetown yesterday on a one day “ ground making security mission”, geared toward the actualisation of a regional security in Sierra Leone.

The ECOWAS “Stabilisation Force”, technically known as “ECOWAS Logistics Depot”, to be located at the old wing of Lungi international airport, was mooted during the thick of the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 90’s.

The strategic aim of the visit is to finalise arrangements for the commencement of the regional security stabilisation base, that will solely be for peacekeeping and not an intervention force.

There will be no interference with the respective military forces in the region, but there will be synergy to maintain peace and stability.

Sierra Leone’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Timothy Kabbah, confirmed last week in a press statement January 2024 as the kick -off date for the much expected security force.

The two leaders’ one day working visit, among other tripartite discussions held with host President Bio, was to finalise modalities for troop deployment into a region that had witnessed six coups, four successful, in two years.

President Bio, since assuming a second term mandate in June, 2023, just six months ago, has quelled two coups attempts.

The ECOWAS delegation visited former President Ernest Bai Koroma at his private residence at Goderich, where he is being held under house arrest. This implies the visit is to lay a solid foundation for peaceful resolution of the crisis in Sierra Leone