16 and 17 December 2015, Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria
1 Under the chairmanship of H.E. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal and current Chair of the Authority, the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held their Forty-Eighth Ordinary Session on 16 and 17 December 2015 in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Session was followed by a ceremony to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the creation of the organization.
2 The Session was attended by the under-listed Heads of State and Government or their duly- mandated representatives:
H.E. Thomas Boni YAYI, President of the Republic of Benin;
H.E. Michel KAFANDO, President of the Transition of Burkina Faso;
H.E. Alassane OUATTARA, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire;
H.E. Sheikh Prof. Alhaji Dr Yahya A.J.J. JAMMEH, President of the Republic of The Gambia;
H.E. John Dramani MAHAMA, President of the Republic of Ghana;
H.E. Alpha CONDE, President of the Republic of Guinea;
H.E. José Mario VAZ, President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau;
H. E. Joseph N. BOAKAI, Vice President of the Republic of Liberia;
H.E. Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA, President of the Republic of Mali;
H. E. Brigi RAFINI, Prime Minister of the Republic of Niger;
H.E. Muhammadu BUHARI, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
H.E. Macky SALL, President of the Republic of Senegal;
H.E. Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE, President of the Togolese Republic
H.E. Jorge TOLENTINO, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cabo Verde
H.E. Dr Ebun STRASSER-KING, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Sierra Leone
3 The session was also attended by Mrs. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission and Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for West Africa as observers.
4 Furthermore, H.E. Yakubu Gowon, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, former Executive Secretaries and Presidents of the ECOWAS Commission, as well as eminent personalities and representatives of various international organizations, socioprofessional organisations and Civil Society Organisations, including religious and traditional leaders, attended the celebrations of the 40th anniversary subsequent to the Summit deliberations.
5 During their session, the Heads of State and Government took note of the 2015 Annual Report of the President of the Commission and the Reports of the 75th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers, the 35th Meeting of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, as well as the 14th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Ministers on institutional reforms, and the end of tenure of statutory appointees. The Heads of State and Government also exchanged views on peace and security matters, particularly the new cross-border threats in the ECOWAS region.
(excerpt)