THE Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS, is holding a three-day workshop on the role of journalists in promoting peace and security in the region.

Facilitated by Paul Ejime, a veteran journalist and international communications consultant, the workshp, which opened in Abuja, on Monday, June 25, is on the proactive engagement of the media towards the realisation of ECOWAS peace and security mandate.

The objective is to bring greater visibility to the  ECOWAS peace and security programmes, including the 29-million Euro European Union, EU, support to ECOWAS Regional Peace, Security and Stability, PSS, project.

The meeting  gathers more than 30 journalists from ECOWAS member States, including Ghana, Mali, Sierra Leone, Nigeria Togo and Senegal.

Remi Ajibewa, ECOWAS director of political affairs,  represented General Francis Behanzin, commissioner for Peace and Security, while the EU Delegation to ECOWAS  and Nigeria, was represented by Stefania Marrone. Marrone noted that while there has been democracy in Africa, peace and security remains issues of concern in some countries including Nigeria. According to her maritime insecurity is in the front burner, calling for solidarity among international partners involved in peace and security building process.

Ajibewa, who declared the workshop open also expressed appreciation  to the European Union for its support to ECOWAS. He described the theme of the workshop as timely especially now that some members countries are undergoing democratic process and would soon have election in Nigeria, Mali and Senegal.

Also present were Diedonne Nikiema, manager, ECOWAS Peace Fund, Juvenal Turatsinze, who represented TRANSTEC, an implemental partner of the PSS project. He said that the role of the media can never be overemphasised as it is the watchdog which monitors, evaluates and ensure accountablicity on the part of government and also sensitises the public. He added that the media play a great role in conflict resolution and can help shape public opinion. The role of the media comes in vaious forms as it is the ear, the tongue. the feet of the nation and the light of the society, he said, adding that the media is identified and selected to play a key role in ECOWAS to popularised its agenda.

“ECOWAS is most advanced regional community in Africa. The pupose of this workshop is to engage the media to share with you our mandate, the mechanism of 1991 and the supplementary protocol of 2000 and 2006 as well as other normative framework that makes the ECOWAS the trailblazer in the region. ECOWAS as an organisation is doing a lot but its effort is not visible. ECOWAS should be visible,” he said, citing ECOWAS intervention in the Gambia as one of its most important and successful intervention that prevented the escalation of conflict in the country…

He said that ECOWAS is ready to collaborate with the media.

On his part, Ejime said that there is need to bring agressiveness  and energy in publicising what ECOWAS is doing, adding that “If you don’t blow your, no one will do it for you”

The ECOWAS Early Warning, Peace keeping and Regional Recurity, External Relations, Communication Directorate and Legal Affairs Directorates, which are involved in the PSS Project are also participating in the workshop.

The workshop is one of the key activities identified in the  communication and visibility Strategy Action Plan of the PSS Project.

– Jun. 25, 2018 @ 19:59 GMT |