LOME, (Xinhua) — A security and civilian observer mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is expected in Togo during the presidential elections scheduled for Feb. 28, the regional bloc has told Xinhua.

The mission from the regional bloc of 15 countries will comprise 200 senior officers and 100 civilians. It will be led by Babacar Ndiaye, the honorary president of the African Development Bank. The ECOWAS press service said on Wednesday that the security mission under the guidance of Siaka Sangare from Mali will stay in Togo between Feb. 8 and March 12, while the civilian mission will be there from Feb. 20 to March 5.

Already on Jan. 8, an ECOWAS pre-election security evaluation mission met with the main actors of the upcoming elections, asking them to let democracy prevail during the polls. The mission held talks with Togolese Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo, military and security officials, foreign ambassadors and the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).

“We had fruitful discussions with CENI just as the military and security authorities,” Sangare said after talks. Sangare pointed out that the main players “showed their total willingness to make the task easy and they committed themselves to consolidating the gains made in 2007, and … perform better than in 2007.”

He was pleased with the observer mission of ECOWAS sent to Togo during the legislative elections in October 2007, when the vote went smoothly without violence and was hailed as “transparent and democratic.”