*Seeks extension of time for dialogue between ECOWAS, Junta
By; USMAN NASIDI, Kaduna
In line with the ongoing efforts and other decisions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure the use of military force against the military junta of Niger Republic, a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental and non-criminal organization in Nigeria has called for the extension of dialogue by the ECOWAS.
During a press conference by the group under the aegis of Advocacy for Peace and Socio-economic Empowerment of Women and Youth today in Kaduna, the chairperson, Fareeda Umar Bakori expressed fears that the use of military force in Niger Republic is a direct attack to Northern Nigeria.
She added that, as Nigerian citizens and as Northern youth, their main goal is to advocate for good governance and a better Nigeria by creating awareness, because the West African nations under ECOWAS, have finalised plans to intervene militarily in Niger to reverse the already executed coup.
According to Fareeda Bakori, “any military intervention or war with the Republic of Niger is unthinkable, considering the historical, cultural, religious, political, economic and kinship ties between Niger Republic and our dear country Nigeria”.
She said, “as we all know, military junta detained President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger on Wednesday, July 26 and toppled the democratically elected government in the country, but we are not in support of the ECOWAS decision to retain the option of military intervention in Niger, facing the way for the mobilization of a force, a force which will mainly be composed of Nigerian and Senegalese troops.
“Both countries have mutually supported each other on critical issues of national security. Niger on many occasions, protected Nigeria from security sabotage and terrorism. Niger Republic has accommodated Nigerian refugees from the North-East and North-West geopolitical zones. Both Nigeria and Niger based diplomatic relations upon non-interference in the internal affairs of the other. As we all know, part of our foreign policy is the principles of non-interference and non-alignment.
“I think Nigeria is facing serious economic difficulties and its military is already overstretched due to being involved in internal security operations, which should be carried out by domestic security agencies such as the police. So we urge our president who doubles as the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to rush into an avoidable conflict as that will only raise the prospect of a major regional conflict and serious domestic implications,” the group’s chairperson noted.
However, the group unequivocally stated that, they regard the people of Niger not only as their neighbors, but rather as their brothers and sisters, so any military intervention against Niger Republic will unavoidably and directly affect Northern Nigeria by worsening and further destabilizing the region which has been plagued by insecurity and infrastructural decay.
“It may also lead to a humanitarian crisis, as Nigeriens will migrate to northern states if the war intensifies. The region may become lawless, leading to military excesses and indiscriminate killings.
“Another major threat to our security is the perception of the two neighboring countries of Niger that are being governed by the military, that is Mali and Burkina Faso. They feel that any military intervention in Niger is a declaration of war on them, so when Niger is attacked, it is going to trigger a regional warfare that no one knows how it will end.
“We should also keep in mind that Russia is exploiting this opportunity as well, to extend its global dominance to Africa. So it’s a whole lot more than just a war with Niger Republic but a war with many interested parties seeking to advance their own dominance. We should not as a country be led into a war like Saudi Arabia, which is now trapped in Yemen.
“Consequently, we call on president Tinubu as a leader of ECOWAS, to extend time for dialogue with the coup leaders. We pray for diplomatic negotiations in resolving this without the use of force. Any harsh and hostile sanctions against Niger should be reversed. For example, Nigeria’s decision to cut electricity supply to Niger violates the treaty that enabled Nigeria to build a dam on the River Niger,” said Fareeda Bakori.
Similarly, the group suggested that the government of Nigeria should rather than venturing into the war, channel same resources to other critical areas of national development such as power, agriculture, education, security and so on, because they believe that peace is always better than war.
