The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Early Warning Directorate, on 7 July 2026 opened the Regional Workshop on Early Warning Responses to Illicit Drug Flows and Human Security Risks in the Mano River Union (MRU) in Freetown, Republic of Sierra Leone, bringing together senior government officials, representatives of the National Centres for the Coordination of Response Mechanisms (NCCRMs), regional institutions, security and public health experts, civil society organisations, academia and development partners to strengthen regional early warning capacities, enhance cross-border analytical cooperation and advance coordinated, evidence-based responses to the growing threat of illicit drug trafficking and its implications for human security across West Africa.
The opening ceremony was attended by H.E. Ambassador John Azumah, ECOWAS Resident Representative to the Republic of Sierra Leone, representing the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray; Dr. Onyinye Onwuka, Acting Director of the ECOWAS Early Warning Directorate; Mrs. Francess A. M. Nyuma, Executive Director of the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Centre (NEWRMC) of Sierra Leone; Mrs. Ange M. C. Konan-Monu, Deputy Secretary General for Peace and Security of the Mano River Union Secretariat; and Mr. Carly Sillah, Regional Analyst for Organized Crime and Violent Extremism at the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP). Participants also included representatives of ECOWAS Member States, public health and security institutions, civil society, academia, UNDP, IOM, development partners and technical experts, reaffirming their commitment to preventive diplomacy, a stronger ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Architecture, and coordinated responses to emerging transnational threats.
