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Regional Peacekeeping Force – 1998

As fighting continued in Guinea-Bissau, the president called upon the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to intervene to restore order. In its 18th security meeting in Abidjan held on 3 July 1999, the ECOWAS foreign ministers made a decision to send the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) force if dialogue between the leaders from the military and the government failed.¹ In the Abuja Peace Agreement, the deployment of the ECOWAS Military Observer Group interposition force was supposed to happen simultaneously with the withdrawal of foreign troops. In support of President Vieira, Senegal and Guinea had sent troops to Guinea-Bissau.²

After the Abuja Peace Accord, an ECOMOG evaluation team from Nigeria was sent to Guinea-Bissau to take over from Guinea and Senegalese troops, which were sent to support President Vieira.³ On November 19, the Nigerian Parliament approved the deployment of 500 Nigerian troops under the ECOMOG in Guinea-Bissau.⁴ In December, the United Nations approved the ECOWAS initiative of restoring peace in Guinea-Bissau.⁵ Between 26 December 1998 and 2 January 1999, there were 110 Togolese troops deployed in Guinea-Bissau as an ECOMOG interposition force.⁶

1. “Guinea-Bissau; Ministers Endorse ECOMOG Intervention In Guinea-Bissau,” Africa News, July 4, 1998.
2. “Hopes dashed over Guinea-Bissau conflict, as West African summit ends,” Agence France Presse, October 31, 1998.
3. “ECOMOG evaluation team sent to Guinea-Bissau,” Xinhua News Agency, November 14, 1998.
4. “West Africa; Niger Parliament Approves 500 Soldiers For Guinea-Bissau,” Africa News, November 19, 1998.
5. “Guinea-Bissau; UN Endorses ECOWAS Plan For Guinea-Bissau,” Africa News, December 22, 1998.
6. “Report of the Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council resolution 1216 (1998) relative to the situation in Guinea-Bissau,” U.N. Security Council (S/1999/294), March 17, 1999.