An extraordinary summit of West African leaders on Sunday opened in the Nigerian capital city of Abuja to discuss an international military intervention in the political crisis in Mali and Guinea Bissau.
The summit is being attended by Ghana's Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama.
President Alasane Ouatara of Cote D'Ivoire, who is also the Chairman of Authority of Heads of State and Government, in an opening remark, decried the situation in the two nations and called for all efforts to bring the situation to normalcy.
Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan, who described the meeting as another step to recover the lost territories in Mali and Guinea Bissau, said it was the duty of the heads to create the right atmosphere for the people to go about their duties in peace.
"It is only in an environment of peace that we can achieve our goals, President Jonathan said, adding; "we must flush out the anarchists."
Other speakers at the opening session were the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission President Kadre Ouedraogo, and representatives of the Chair of African Union Commission and the United Nation Secretary.
The heads of state and government would also reaffirm regional solidarity in support of the necessity to recover the territorial integrity of Mali.
The new concept of operation, based on the expansion of the force, has passed through the various experts and the ministers, whose meeting in Abuja under the Mediation and Security Council, preceded the ECOWAS heads of state summit.
It was attended by Ghana's Defence Minister, Brigadier General Joseph Henry Smith (Rtd) and Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Chris Kpodo.
Ahead of the summit, officials of ECOWAS, African Union, United Nations, European Union and other partners met in Bamako, the Malian capital, last week as part of efforts to wrap up the details of the operation to flush out the rebels.
Mali was thrown into crisis following the 22 March military coup that overthrew the nation's democratically-elected government.
The Abuja summit will adopt a blueprint, which once approved, would be transmitted through the African Union, before November 15, to the UN Security Council.