An All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain in Lagos,
Ambassador Abayomi Mumuni, has urged the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) to shelve any military intervention in Niger.
The security expert urged ECOWAS to intensify efforts to
secure the release of ousted Nigerien president Mohamed Bazoum rather than
military intervention.
Recall that Bazoum has been held hostage
following the military takeover of the Niger Republic since July 26.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chairman of ECOWAS, had
described the coup as unacceptable, giving the junta a deadline to restore democratic
rule.
Mumuni, in a statement made on
Sunday through his Media Aide, Rasheed Abubakar, advised Tinubu that war is not
the answer.
He added that Tinubu should not be surprised if other
Francophone nations in the association later pitch their tents with Niger if
war were to break out.
Mumuni said, “The first thing that should have been on the
priority list of ECOWAS when the coup was announced is securing the release of
President Mohamed Bazoum. And this should be done through robust diplomatic
engagements and persuasive communications.
“War or military intervention is not the answer. I think
ECOWAS can do better to manage the crisis rather than setting for a war whose
consequences would be untold and brutal. Therefore, the ECOWAS chieftains
should intensify diplomatic engagements and persuasive communications with the
junta. They should not be deterred by the fact that the last diplomatic
engagement failed.
“In all of these crises, the life of the ousted president is
most precious. He should come out alive first. Any declaration of war may see
him killed, which would defeat the essence of the whole thing. Bazoum’s release
should top the priorities of ECOWAS. They should do more and continue to press
for his release by the junta.
“President Tinubu should resist temptations to deploy ECOWAS
troops to Niger. He should not be surprised if other Francophone nations in the
association later pitch their tents with Niger if War were to break out. We
have quite different orientations. They were colonised by France and Nigeria
was a British colony. Though our military establishment is fierce and strong in
the African community, it has been overstretched by internal terrorism. We
shouldn’t add more burden with the Niger crisis that effective diplomatic
engagements and strategies can solve.
“Right now, the Western gladiators are seeing this as
another opportunity to see Africa go into war against itself. We must never
allow that happen”.
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