Niger: Northern groups flay ECOWAS’ military action
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has condemned planned military action by the Economic and Community of West African State (ECOWAS) as a result of the coup in Niger Republic.
CNG’s Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, in a statement, Friday, noted that the hasty closure of boarders and trade routes by neighbouring countries, the cutting off of electricity supply by Nigeria and the slapping of a regime of economic sanctions were not in the best interest of peace.
Sulieman added that the undiplomatic method adopted by ECOWAS had made the coup leaders in Niger to have stubbornly foreclosed every window for discussions by rejecting all overtures including the refusal to allow diplomatic emissaries from the United Nations, the African Union and even ECOWAS to initiate negotiations.
According to We note also the incitement to war by the regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso as well as the direct and indirect inflammation of the situation by certain foreign interests on the West and East that only complicate matters the more.
He said: “In the light of the foregone observations, the CNG hereby declares the following stand:
“To emphatically repudiate any form of preference for military action against Niger or any other West African or African nation by any regional or international community/institution.
“To demand both the military authorities in Niger and the ECOWAS to open and allow all doors for discussions devoid of any hidden agenda or unnecessary preconditions for genuine dialogue.
“To call on the leaders of the coup in Niger Republic to discard their rigid stance and unhelpful show of bravado and embrace all diplomatic overtures in order to reach a peaceful and bloodless resolution of the matter, keeping in mind that threats and conflicts have very little or no utility value.
“To condemn with all our might the burning in Niger of Nigerian national flag which is our symbol of nationhood and demand the military junta to order it to stop forthwith.
“To declare the discrediting of our President and leaders not only immoral and illegal, but also abhorrent to Nigeria’s collective sensibilities and ordinary decency and therefore unacceptable.
“To demand from the military leaders in Niger action against the continues burning of Nigerian flag and to warn that they stand to lose the ample public sympathy freely given to them by the vast majority of Nigerians.
“To call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to reconsider its stand on the closure of boarders with Niger and the seizure of electricity supply.
“To warn against unnecessary escalation of the situation by the unsolicited intervention of the international community and other dubious foreign interests.”
He added that, “it is imperative that they understand that bilateral relationships are guided by the principles of sovereignty, promotion of peace and the standards that guide legitimate interference.
“Hence, their intervention, exclamations and actions in the affairs of the continent should not be drawn to discountenance the effort of African to protect its citizens and to impose law and order.
“It is important to call the attention of the entire international community/organisations to weigh the impact and consequence of a destabilized West African subregion which will certainly threaten the peace and security of the entire Africa.
“Any breakdown of law and order will only compound the security and humanitarian situations in the region, especially in Mali, Libya etc. This will further worsen the continent, disrupt international cohesion, compound the despondent cases of human trafficking, migration and other challenges the continent and the world are now facing.
“Lastly, the CNG wishes to make a special appeal to political, religious, traditional and cultural leaders across the West African subregion to urgently intervene by impressing the need for a window for serious negotiations to be provided.
“These leaders should identify a neutral location within Africa at which to hold such honest discussions to finally bring a bloodless enduring end to this impasse.”
