ECOWAS Standby Force

Found in 1975, the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) is a standby arrangement made up of military, police and civilian components in accordance with Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter which provides for regional peace and security arrangements. A partial legal basis is given by Article 21 of the ECOWAS Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security.