Apex northern sociocultural group, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has joined the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to condemn the July 26, 2023, military coup d’etat in the Republic of Niger led by Brigadier General Abdoulrahame Tchiani.
ACF in a statement signed by its secretary-general Murtala Aliyu called for the restoration of democratic governance in Niger.
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In a communique released at the end of the 51st Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on the Political Situation in Niger in Abuja on July 30, 2023, under the leadership President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the ECOWAS Leaders gave a one week ultimatum for the coupists to return power to the democratically elected President Muhammadou Bazoum or face a range of sanctions including, among others, economic, land and overflight blockade already imposed or military intervention.
The forum however viewed with concern the unfolding events in Nigeria’s immediate neighbour, Republic of Niger and the potential impact on the region, stressing that Nigeria and Niger share a long historical border of more than 1,500 kilometres with families, communities, sharing common facilities including farmlands, markets, cultural bonds and languages for many centuries predating the Trans Saharan Trade and colonial times.
ACF said the two countries have enjoyed harmonious brotherly and mutually beneficial inter-communal relationships from time immemorial and observed that the measures being contemplated should have taken into consideration the historical antecedents and mutual interests of the two countries and weigh the consequences of the use of force.
“While the Arewa Consultative Forum, recognises the ECOWAS position to bring pressure to bear on the coupists but nevertheless the military option shouldn’t be a prerequisite for Nigeria’s and the Community’s continuing efforts to enthrone democracy in the region in the 21st century.
“Certainly not an adventure to be led by Nigeria. Democracy has taken root in Nigeria and her leadership role has inspired many countries in ECOWAS to embrace democratic governance structure.
“We shouldn’t throw that away for some misadventure against our brothers and sisters on the other side prejudicial to our non -interference in a country’s internal affairs posture and attendant legal implications. ECOWAS is a shining example of a functional Regional Economic Cooperation (REC) on the Continent which should be sustained.
“We believe the peaceful relations with our border communities and stability of the entire region should be paramount. A military intervention might yield a temporary solution but the repercussions on Nigeria as a leader and the regional body would impact negatively on future relations and a herculean task to rebuild”.
The ACF supports the position to restore democratic rule in Niger but called on the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government under the chairmanship of President Tinubu to tow the path of dialogue and diplomacy and certainly not force, in resolving the current impasse in Niger in the interest of peaceful coexistence “with our brotherly neighbour and stability of the ECOWAS region.”
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