As an organisation interested with the objective to create public awareness on the need for public safety, which guarantees peace, progress and prosperity, the Global Awareness for Public Safety Foundation has carefully followed the call by ECOWAS for military action in Niger Republic to return the country to civilian rule. We are utterly heartbroken, seeing as this action will result into a breakdown of peace, law and order.
GAPSF believes that the foremost concern for ECOWAS should be to promote a peaceful resolution of perceived discord between ECOWAS and Niger Republic. Niger Republic is a sovereign nation, and Nigeriens are at liberty to determine the type of government they want to practice, and except for a case of internal strife or Civil War, ECOWAS is not to intrude on their process of regime change.
Much as we want to condemn the Coup d’état of Wednesday, July 26, 2023, it is pertinent to bear in mind that, with the fragile peace seemingly attained in Niger, war, should not be an option on the table in ECOWAS’ desire to return the country to a form of government acceptable to the west.
With this mind, ECOWAS should tread with caution on its intended forceful action in Niger Republic, lest it will be seen as acting out of character of its status. Specifically, the Statute and Convention signed by members of ECOWAS are purely on Cultural and Economic integration and not political integration. Hence, the commission does not hold the power to insist and enforce democracy among its member states.
As it stands, all the region along the Nigerian border with Niger Republic is experiencing one form of insecurity; be it militant insurgency in the North-East and wanton banditry in the North-West with tens of thousands of Nigerian refugees being harboured in that same country, adding war to this mix, would only escalate and worsen the situation.
The Nigeria-Niger history goes way beyond colonial era which split people and communities without any humane consideration, but based on western colonial interests which they seek to continue till date. Empires, and kingdoms were split along borders dividing a culture that dates back to thousands of years. Beyond the lack of relevant endorsement on this force action, the reality of Niger’s interlocked relationship and strategic location at the centre of the Sahel and Savannah Regions, immediately reveals that any war executed in Niger Republic will certainly cause huge damage on human resources and the economic systems of the relating regions; thereby introducing a situation of hunger and poverty for the Savannah and Sahel Regions of Africa, Northern Nigeria and other bordering Nations around Niger Republic who will suffer great and devastating setbacks, socially, economically, infrastructurally and Health-wise.
It is our opinion that the present situation in Niger Republic requires some element of public safety models that must be used to achieved order, primarily to restore peace, law and order in that country. For us, we advise that caution is required to bring back peace in Niger. No war prosecuted anywhere in the world is cheap, when it starts those that fans the embers of the war will now realize that other international interest will come to play out and it will enter into dimensions not earlier envisaged and the war will enter its PRIDE REALM and to cease fire for truce and peaceful negotiations becomes difficult, lives and properties would have been wasted.
Let ECOWAS under study Ukraine and Russian War, the Economic damages it has caused globally, and the tragedy of wasting human resources that have been witnessed. Since it’s an internal strife which necessitate a coup d’état highly condemnable, we believe it’s solvable when the right approaches are deployed. ECOWAS leadership should not create another problem in the Region, the Region have so much problems bedevilling it, already the insecurity in North East Nigeria had displaced more than 3 million people who are homeless suffering one disadvantage condition or the other, why fight war that has multinational interest because of the resources found in the soils of Africa. ECOWAS we urge you to rethink and redraw your strategy to make the Sahel and Savannah Regions safe and peaceful.
Signed
Apostle Chuks Alozie Mallam Muktar Nadama
Director-General Secretary
