Quit now or we push you out, ECOWAS Military Chiefs warn Niger Junta
By Sumaila Ogbaje
ECOWAS defence chiefs on Friday acknowledged there must nonetheless be comprehensive reach that encompasses political, security and diplomatic dimensions in addressing the difficulty in Niger Republic.
The Committee of Chiefs of Defence Personnel (CDS) of Financial Group of West African Affirm (ECOWAS) international locations made this known on the stop of their three-day Extra Original Assembly, in Abuja.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Personnel and President of the committee, Gen. Christopher Musa, counseled ECOWAS for standing agency for democracy, including that the militaries of the member international locations had been firmly in beef up of their stand.
He acknowledged that the committee collectively recognised the gravity of the difficulty in Niger and the pressing want for a successfully coordinated response.
Musa added that as well they examined the instantaneous implication of the coup and its doubtless ripple results right thru the ECOWAS space.
“Now we accumulate also deliberated on the broader implication for democracy, peace and stability in West Africa and happy to camouflage that our discussions accumulate yielded precious insights and actionable ideas.
“Now we accumulate acknowledged the need for a comprehensive reach that encompasses political, security and diplomatic dimensions.
“It’s crucial that we translate our deliberations into concrete actions that successfully handle the crisis and prevent a recurrence within the long coast.
“Democracy is what we stand for and democracy is what we are able to preserve,” he acknowledged.
Musa acknowledged the protection power chiefs agreed that there became no different democratic principles and rule of law within the space, including that the coup in Niger represented blatant put out of your mind for the basic principles that underpinned regional integration and stability.
“We must always condemn such motion and demonstrate our unwavering dedication to democracy,” he acknowledged, including that regional security structure must nonetheless be bolstered to toughen collective response to security challenges.
According him, the assembly recognised the fact that the coup in Niger highlighted the fragility of the space.
“We must always toughen intelligence sharing, joint practicing workout routines and capability building initiative among our defence and security forces to successfully fight threats to our collective security and toughen interoperability.
“We must always intensify our diplomatic efforts to accumulate interaction with all relevant stakeholders.
“Dialogue and negotiations must nonetheless be on the forefront of our reach in resolving the crisis within the Republic of Niger.
“We must always engage the old school authorities, civil society, organisation and the total key actors to foster an inclusive and aloof transition route of,” he acknowledged.
The CDS acknowledged the assembly urged member states to coast the implementation of the ideas and translate them into tangible actions for mercurial alternatives to the difficulty in Niger.
“Let us take this likelihood to acquire a protracted-lasting impact and guarantee that that the Republic of Niger and your entire space can growth on the race of democracy, peace, and stability.
“I support you all to prioritise the implementation of ideas which accumulate been place forth all the intention in which thru our deliberations.
“This requires a concerted effort and a strategy of urgency. We must always allocate the mandatory assets, engage relevant stakeholders, and show screen growth to guarantee that that our selections accumulate a tangible impact on the bottom,” he added.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, counseled the protection power chiefs for taking time to fabricate a theory of operation for an eventual protection power intervention to revive constitutional clarify in Niger.
Musah acknowledged that everyone the aspects that would bolt into any intervention had been labored out and had been being subtle, including the timing, assets mandatory and how, where and when to deploy such power.
He acknowledged that ECOWAS being a rule-essentially based fully mostly establishment became resolute to place an stop to the protection power coup contagion within the space.
“However first, we’re giving diplomacy every likelihood to be successful and there accumulate been more than one approaches to the protection power Junta in Niger.
“The outcomes of whatever has been completed right here will seemingly be presented very soon to the Heads of Central Government who will accumulate the final direct as to what we’re going to fabricate almost the difficulty within the Republic of Niger, equipped that everyone diplomatic overtures fabricate no longer yield outcome.
“So I wish to, thru this medium also charm to the protection power in Niger to give peace a huge gamble, and then mediate their populations and fabricate the actual ingredient by staunch away restoring constitutional clarify of their nation.
“That’s our message to them and within the occasion that they don’t, then we are able to acquire them give up to civilian authorities and that’s the resolution of ECOWAS and we would like to send that message clearly right thru to all of them,” he acknowledged.
The Everlasting Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dr Ibrahim Kana, acknowledged that Nigeria became dedicated to restoring democracy in Niger, but acknowledged protection power option would possibly well be the final resort.
“Military option is the final option but the President has directed us, the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria to come support along with a mode of ECOWAS participants,” he acknowledged.
Nations represented on the assembly included Togo, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Gambia, Cote Devoir, Cape Verde and Benin while Niger, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso had been absent.
