H.E. President J.A. Kufuor left Accra this morning for Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to attend the 33rd Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS.

The one-day Summit will consider among other things, a memorandum recommending the formalization of the ECOWAS Emergency Response Team (EERT). The EERT will help build regional disaster response capability and enable ECOWAS respond to complex humanitarian emergencies in the sub-region.

When fully operational, the EERT will form part of the larger African Union emergency response arrangement. The Summit will also review the security situation in the sub-region and see to the election of a new Chairman for the sub-regional body.

African Union Chairman, President Kufuor, ECOWAS Chairman, President Blaise Compaore and ECOWAS President, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, will take turns to address the summit.

Signed:

Andrew Awuni

Press Secretary To The President &
Presidential Spokesman

Issued on 18th January, 2008