ECOWAS PROVIDES US$4.5 MILLION HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT TO BURKINA FASO, MALI, NIGER

ABUJA, Nigeria, April 26, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- ECOWAS has presented cheques totally 4.5 million US dollars to three of its Member States to enable them cope with refugee and displacement crisis caused by the rebellion in the north of Mali.

The cheques were presented by the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Alassane Ouattara, during the opening of Thursday's extra-ordinary summit in Abidjan, dedicated to the political developments in Guinea Bissau and Mali.

Three million dollars of the amount is for Mali, while Niger and Burkina Faso will get 800,000 and 700,000 dollars, respectively.

The release of the humanitarian support was authorized by regional leaders at their February 2012 summit in Abuja, to mitigate the sufferings of the displaced persons.

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, described the donation as part of the region's modest contributions and an expression of its solidarity with the refugees and displaced persons who are in desperate need of support in the three countries.