Cabo Verde became the ninth ECOWAS country to host a National Coordination Centre for the Early Warning Response Mechanism, inaugurated in Praia on 30 October 2026.
The centre was opened by the Economic Community of West African States in coordination with Cabo Verde’s Ministry of National Defence.
In a report from the Economic Community of West African States, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Birame Diop, said the centre would strengthen national prevention and response capacities while contributing to the wider regional peace and security architecture.
He described early warning as essential to addressing emerging threats before they escalate into crises.
“Early warning means detecting risks, informing decision-making and triggering a timely response.”
Diop said the inauguration marked a milestone in ECOWAS efforts to bring early warning mechanisms closer to national realities and to reinforce the link between risk detection and effective response.
The centre is anchored institutionally at the Office of the Prime Minister. According to the statement, it will facilitate inter-institutional cooperation, support the analysis of information and promote timely, coordinated responses to threats affecting human security.
It is the ninth such national centre established in the region under a process initiated after the adoption of a Supplementary Act in July 2014.
Cabo Verde’s Minister of National Defence, Dr Manuel da Rosa, described the centre as the materialisation of a vision for strengthening state institutions and safeguarding the security of the population.
He said protecting citizens requires strategic action based on the capacity to identify emerging crises and respond effectively, and that the centre enhances the country’s capacity to deter threats and reinforces its ability to anticipate and address security challenges.
The ceremony brought together members of the Government, national authorities, diplomatic representatives and international partners.
The Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, Anthony Oluwatosin Ogunjimi, and the Auditor-General of ECOWAS Institutions, Dr Carla Bettencourt, joined online alongside Diop, da Rosa and the Minister of Economy of Cabo Verde.
Staff of the ECOWAS Early Warning Directorate and Cabo Verdean staff of ECOWAS institutions joined from the ECOWAS Situation Room in Abuja.
The statement said the centre’s operationalisation was supported by the European Union through the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA IV) programme.
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