The ECOWAS Commission, through its Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and the ECOWAS Standby Force, has successfully carried out an Operational Readiness Inspection, ORI, of the Republic of Guinea’s pledge Motorized Company.
The mission was part of ECOWAS’ Force generation and verification process, the Commission said, “aimed at ensuring pledged units meet the operational, logistical and professional standards required for deployment in support of ECOWAS conflict prevention, management and Peace Support Operations.”
The inspection led by the Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier General Sheikh Sulaiman Massaquoi, “underscores ECOWAS commitment to strengthening regional peace, collective security and rapid response capabilities in addressing emerging security challenges across West Africa.”
The mission began in Conakry with high-level consultations with the Acting Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General David Haba; the Chief of the General Staff of the Guinean Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Ibrahima Bangoura; the Inspector General of the Guinean Armed Forces, Brigadier General Sena Camara; and the Chief of Operations and Force Deployment, Brigadier General Hamidou Soumah.
Brigadier General Massaquoi said, “Discussions centered around improving military cooperation, increasing interoperability, enhancing force generation, and bolstering operational preparedness to counter terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime, and other regional security threats.
The Guinean military leadership reiterated Guinea’s commitment to the “ECOWAS vision of collective security and pledged to address all observations arising from the inspection to further enhance the contingent’s readiness for deployment.”
The inspection team then went to Kindia, where the promised Motorised Company is located, to carry out a thorough evaluation of its operational readiness.
The assessment included personnel strength, command and control arrangements, training, equipment, communications, logistics, medical support, engineering capabilities, and self-sustainment.
The delegation also had a detailed briefing from the Commandant of the Training School, Brigadier General Sorry Keita, on the extensive peace support operations training undertaken by the contingent.
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Training areas covered Protection of Civilians, Rules of Engagement, International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law, Civil-Military Coordination, Gender and Protection, First Aid and Combat Life-Saving, Leadership, Military Ethics, Conflict Management, and Operational Planning.
“The inspection has confirmed that the pledged Motorised Company has achieved a commendable level of operational readiness and has shown professionalism, discipline, cohesion and competence in line with ECOWAS operational standards,” Brigadier General Massaquoi said;
The contingent also demonstrated a good understanding of International Humanitarian Law, human rights principles, protection of civilians, and multinational peace support operations.
Brigadier General Massaquoi, Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force, “commended the Government of the Republic of Guinea and the leadership of the Guinean Armed Forces for their commitment to preparing the contingent for regional peace support missions.”
He stressed that Operational Readiness Inspections are crucial for ensuring that committed forces are deployable, interoperable and able to respond effectively to regional crises. The inspection confirmed that the Motorized Company pledged for deployment was operationally ready.
“Guinea’s ongoing investment in training, equipment, and force readiness makes a valuable contribution to the operationalization of the ECOWAS Standby Force and strengthens the Community’s collective capacity to promote peace, security, and stability throughout West Africa.” Brig. Gen. Massaquoi said
The Chief of the General Staff of the Guinean Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Bangoura, thanked the ECOWAS Standby Force inspection team for their professionalism and objective assessment.
He said he was pleased that the inspection confirmed the operational readiness of Guinea’s pledged Motorised Company and reiterated Guinea’s commitment to regional peace, security and collective defence under the ECOWAS Standby Force.
