Terrorism: ECOWAS intensifies move to ban full face veil

The Economic Community of West African has intensified move to enforce a ban on women wearing the full face veil or niqab with a call on heads of governments of members states to ban the dress code as it seeks to counter terrorism on the sun-region.
With an increase on the activities of the Boko Haram Islamic insurgents, the sub-regional body says the move to ban the Islamic attire would considerably prevent attacks by female suicide bombers.
With countries like Guinea and Senegal have already moved legislations to that effect, ECOWAS said in a statement on Friday that: “Certain dress codes, such as the full-face veil, make identification difficult and hinder police operations”.
Boko Haram has used girls as suicide bombers by hiding explosives in loose-fitting clothes.
According to the body, the summit allowed Heads of State and Government also to exchange views on peace and security matters, particularly the new cross-border threats in the ECOWAS region.
“The Authority reaffirms the importance of peace, security and stability for the economic development of the ECOWAS region. It reiterates its commitment to the standards and principles underpinning the peace and security architecture as set out in the protocol relating to the mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security, as well as the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance”.
“The Authority expresses deep concern over terrorism in the Sahel region and condemns in the strongest terms, the terrorist attack in Bamako on November 20, 2015, as well as the Boko Haram group’s recurrent terrorist acts in the Lake Chad Basin countries”.
“The Authority reaffirms its determination to relentlessly pursue the fight against terrorism and consequently underscores the need for a coordinated international struggle”.
“Similarly, the Heads of State and Government are of the view that certain dress codes, which make identification of the persons concerned difficult, may considerably hinder actions geared towards protecting people and properties. They, therefore, urge all Member States to take, in line with their national realities, appropriate measures to ban any dress code that may make it difficult to identify people, ”the statement read in parts.