2019: ECOWAS moves to mitigate conflicts, disputes

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has taken strategic steps to prevent perceived conflicts and disputes that might arise ahead of the country’s crucial general elections in February 2019.

Speaking in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Tuesday, at a 3-day workshop, the Head of Mediation and Facilitation Division of ECOWAS, Mr Ebenezer Aseidu, said the main objective of ECOWAS is to strengthen the capacity of key stakeholders in their efforts at preventing and mitigating potential pre and post election related violence, so as to ensure peaceful electoral outcomes.

The workshop tagged: Using Dialogue and Mediation as Tools for Preventing and Mitigating Election Related Disputes and Conflicts, was organised in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR).

Aseidu however said the first of such workshop begins in Plateau, hosting the North-central geopolitical zone, but will be followed by others planned for the rest of the country.

“Our next stop will be in Benin City, Edo State hosting South-South geopolitical zone and by the middle of next month, we intend to proceed from there to other locations in November and December this year”, he said.

Earlier, the Director General, Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA), Joseph Lengmang, said to achieve best results in conflict management the best approach is being proactive.

“We should be able to involve strategic initiative, elections can generate tension, so strategy to avert such occurrence is very apt”, Lengmang said.