Ten out the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have gotten their their military’s buy-into in the efforts to restore democratic government in the Republic of Niger.
The Defence chiefs of the 10 countries yesterday expressed in Accra, Ghana, their readiness to participate in the Standby Force being activated by the sub-regional body should the need arise.
At their recent emergency summit in Abuja, ECOWAS Heads of Government directed the Defence Chiefs to activate the Standby Force.
The directive followed the forceful removal from office of President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 in a putsch by the military led by Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani.
All member states, except those under military rule and Cape Verde, pledged to participate in the Standby Force, according to Reuters, an international news agency.
ECOWAS Commissioner, Abdel-Fatau Musah, was quoted to have said: “Let no one be in doubt if everything else fails, the valiant forces of West Africa…are ready to answer to the call of duty.
“By all means available, constitutional order will be restored in the country,” Musah told the Defence chiefs from member countries, listing past ECOWAS deployments in Gambia and Liberia as examples of readiness.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Christopher Gwabin Musa, to have said: “Democracy is what we stand for and it’s what we encourage.
“The focus of our gathering is not simply to react to events, but to proactively chart a course that results in peace and promote stabilit
The Presidential Guards staged a palace coup on July 26, forcing ECOWAS to issue a one-week ultimatum to the military to restore the president or risk sanctions.
The ultimatum was ignored by the junta which vowed to resist foreign intervention.
The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) bloc in Nigeria endorsed the stand taken by both the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the political impasse.
The SADC in Nigeria (made up of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, DR Congo, South Africa, Angola, Tanzania and Namibia) threw its weight behind the actions taken so far by the continental body and the West African sub-regional bloc to force the junta to hand over power back to ousted Bazoum.
Dean of the SADC/High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria, H.E. Humphrey Geiseb, said the Southern Africa is part of the African Union and definitely concerned about the situations of coups as expressed by ECOWAS which is a regional body just like the Southern Africa Development Community, and equally by the African Union.
The envoy spoke with reporters at the Hope of Survival Ophanage Home, Abuja, where the SADC donated food items to orphans as part of activities to mark the organisation’s anniversary.
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He said: “So, we are fully behind the statements and positions of ECOWAS and the African Union.”
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Geiseb, while noting that Southern African region is mostly peaceful, as “we hold regular elections and democracy is very strong in our region,” said there is need for continuity of democracy everywhere on the continent.
Geiseb said that whatever happens in other regions of the African continent indirectly affects SADC.
According to him, the visit the orphanage was to demonstrate the enduring friendship between the Southern African countries and Nigeria.
He said: “We came to celebrate with the orphanage here by making official donations. This is our way of honoring the SADC as well as the Federal Government of Nigeria which has supported strongly the liberation struggle of Southern Africa.
”Today, our sub-continent is free and independent. Many of our countries can recall that the Federal Republic of Nigeria has strongly supported us during the dark days of colonialism.”
Activation’ of standby force in Niger Republic begin’
ECOWAS yesterday confirmed that it has begun the activation of its standby force in Niger Republic to restore constitutional order.
The body spoke after a meeting of the bloc’s Defence chiefs in Ghana.
Although the Defence chiefs had backed the calls for dialogue as a mediation tactic in Niger, the group said all elements that would go into any military intervention had been worked out and were being refined.
This included the timing, resources needed and how, where and when to deploy such force.
Speaking at the second extra-ordinary meeting, ECOWAS chairperson President Bola Tinubu said the bloc’s leaders were mandated to exhaust all avenues of engagement to ensure a swift return to constitutional governance in Niger.
Tinubu said it was necessary for action because the political crisis in Niger not only poses a threat to the stability of the nation but also has far-reaching implications for the entire West African region.
The ECOWAS chairman assured that the bloc would remain steadfast in its commitment to supporting Niger in the journey towards peaceful democratic stability in the country.
