ECOWAS on point over military renegades in Niger Republic

The Heads of State and Government of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu ordered immediate release and reinstatement of Bazoum as legitimate Head of State and Government of the Republic of Niger.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the Extraordinary Summit on the socio-political situation in the Republic of Niger, read by the President, ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, the leaders also rejected the purported resignation by Bazoum and declared him as the only recognised and elected President by ECOWAS, the African Union and the international community.

The leaders expressed strong condemnation of the attempted overthrow of constitutional order in Niger, and the illegal detention of Bazoum, as well as members of his family and government.

They demanded full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger and considered the illegal detention of President Mohamed Bazoum as a hostage situation, holding the authors of the attempted coup d’état solely and fully responsible for his safety and security and that of his family and government.

In the event its demands are not met within one week, the leaders of the Africa-Sub region said they would take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger and that such may include the use of force to send the military renegades packing from the presidency villa at Niamey, the country’s capital.

It was also agreed at the meeting to appoint and dispatch a special representative to deliver the demands of the authority.

In response to the coup attempt, the summit announced immediate sanctions on Niger, including the closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Niger, establishing a no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger, and suspending all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Niger among others.

It would be recalled that the events leading to the current takeover of power began last Wednesday through an attempted coup by the country’s Presidential Guard, who surrounded the presidential palace in a move to remove the country’s democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum

Though Niger Republic’s presidency had said the guards had started an “anti-republican” movement “in vain” and that Bazoum was well but the mutinous soldiers had remained adamant and by Friday General Abdourahamane Tchiani as the new Head of State.

The AU and ECOWAS leaders are however not taking this rebellion action lightly as they were very sure the effort was to unseat Bazoum, who was elected President two years ago in the country’s first peaceful and democratic transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960.

In the face of the ECOWAS threats and sanctions, the coupists its Spokesman, Colonel Amadou Abdramane said that they were very aware of the imminent military intervention by the African-sub regional group but that they were ready to defend themselves and square up with any group that may want to interfere in what they said was purely their domestic affairs.

Report has it that since the beginning of 2021, there had been military se coup in Chad, Guinea, Mali, Sudan and in early 2022 Burkina Faso. In March 2021, a coup attempt was reportedly foiled in Niger.

A report also said that between 1958 and 2008, West Africa had the highest number of coups on the continent, accounting for 44.4 per cent. Since 2010, there is said to have been over 40 coups and attempted coups in Africa; some 20 occurred in West Africa and the Sahel (including Chad).

Thankfully, we are not stranger to coups in Nigeria too starting from the maiden edition of January 1966 during when our first ever Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and others were killed with Late Gen Aguiyi Ironsi taken over as the first ever Military Head of State. The history of coup and counter coup continued with the successive military junta holding sway until May 1999 when the country returned to democratic path.

The truth is that it is no longer fashionable taking over government through the barrel of guns or having the soldiers to come from their barrack and sack a democratically elected President and his government. Military rule remains an aberration and so will it remain no matter the reasons adduced for such misadventure.

More often than not, bad governance is always at the heart of any military take over but that is still not a strong sufficient reason because military government are not always autocratic but also reckless such that in the long run the misnomer and bad governance witnessed under a democratically elected government is considered a child play.

At least democratically elected government are run on tenure, that is for a particular period of time, so if the people are not satisfied with the ways their affairs are being handled, they could constitutionally use election windows to show such government the exit door and choose another one that they believe will do far better and attend to their good governance needs.

Though, this is not to say that the democratically-elected governmment could afford to conduct the affairs of the people as it pleases them because such insensitivity also has its consequences but the military intervening because of bad governance will only be a case of two wrongs that will never make a right.

This is the reason why our electoral institutions and party politics must be so strengthened such that it will be credible and way above manipulation and of course go ahead to produce the choice of the people during elections.

It is on this note that kudos should be given to the ECOWAS leadership under President Tinubu for insisting that the renegades in Niger Republic wouldn’t be treated with kid gloves.

Another dimension to the military takeover in Niger Republic is that if it is not properly handled it could be sending wrong signals to military in other countries on the African continent.

It is therefore advisable and very strongly too that the ambitious soldiers in the poor country should withdraw to the barrack and allow President Mohamed Bazoum to complete his tenure after which the citizens during next election cycle should decide his fate.