Speaker 1 said terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel and its spillover into West Africa constitute a grave threat to international peace and security and argued that African efforts to confront the menace must be met with robust international partnership.
He urged "full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 27 19," which the transcript describes as acknowledging the need for predictable financing for African peace operations and providing a framework for assessed contributions on a case-by-case basis. The representative said translating that commitment into reality is essential and described the proposed 'echo' or standby force to combat terrorism in West Africa as one component that requires reliable, sustained support.
Speaker 1 said Sierra Leone, as chair of ECOWAS under the arrangement described in the transcript, is committed to strengthening regional cooperation, intelligence sharing and joint training. He commended U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres "for his renewed attention and dedicated support" to Sahel issues.
In response to press questions about the composition and schedule of a stabilization force and whether Sierra Leone would play a role, the representative said it is "too early to propose or prescribe" operational details and stressed the need for partner commitment. On Sudan, he cited displacement figures in the transcript — "over 12,000,000 people displaced and another 4,000,000 in the other countries around" — and warned neighboring countries' food systems and essential services are already overwhelmed.
The transcript records calls for predictable funding and operational support for African-led missions but does not include implementation plans, donor commitments, or a timetable for deploying any standby force.