ECOWAS Mission In Guinea-Bissau Holds 5km Route March To Boost Fitness, Teamwork

The Force Headquarters of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (FHQ ESSMGB) has organised a 5-kilometre route march in Bissau to promote physical fitness, teamwork and operational readiness among personnel.

The monthly exercise was held on Saturday, August 22, 2026, as part of efforts to improve the physical wellbeing of personnel and strengthen cooperation among the various components of the mission.

This was contained in a statement by the Military Public Information Officer, Force Headquarters, ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau, Reuben Kovangiya.

Speaking after the exercise, the Force Commander of ESSMGB, Brigadier General Danjuma Ribah Dantani, said regular physical training was essential to maintaining personnel’s fitness and effectiveness in operations.

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He said the exercise was also aimed at bringing personnel together while encouraging healthy lifestyles and reducing health risks associated with physical inactivity.

According to him, “regular physical exercise helps personnel maintain healthy lifestyles and reduces the risk of health challenges associated with physical inactivity.”

Dantani urged Contingent Commanders to make physical fitness a priority by ensuring that officers and soldiers remain fit and operationally ready at all times.

He also commended participants for their commitment to the exercise, stressing the importance of collective fitness and teamwork in achieving the mission’s objectives.

The route march brought together officers and soldiers from FHQ ESSMGB, personnel from the Office of the Resident Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, as well as contingents from Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal.

Personnel from the Level II Hospital also participated in the exercise alongside members of the Guinea-Bissau Armed Forces, comprising the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard.

The mission said the 5-kilometre march provided an opportunity for personnel from different components and Guinea-Bissau’s security forces to exercise together.

It added that the activity was aimed at strengthening “camaraderie, team spirit and interoperability” among the participating personnel.