ECOWAS Communique Is Contradictory; Opting for Dialogue and Setting A Standby Force —Shehu Sani
Senator Shehu has reacted to the content of the communique issued by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at its Second Extraordinary Summit on the Niger crisis held in Abuja. The former lawmaker expressed his views about the communique in a post his Twitter handle.
According to him:
“ECOWAS communique is contradictory; Opting for dialogue and setting up a standby force. Our message to the leaders of West Africa is unambiguously clear: DO NOT drag us to war because of the coup in Niger Republic.”
Media reports on Thursday indicated that ECOWAS has ordered its Chief of Defense Staff Committee to immediately activate its standby force in readiness for the eventuality of an invasion of the Niger Republic.
The subregional body’s President, Omar Alieu Touray, stated this while he out the resolutions reached at the Abuja Extraordinary Summit.
The resolution on the standby force read:
“Direct the Committee of the Chief of Defense Staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately. Order the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.”
This resolution contradicts the earlier position of the economic bloc’s chairman, Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who stated in his opening speech at the summit that the body would explore diplomatic means and dialogue with the coup leaders to resolve the crisis.
Meanwhile, the majority of Nigerians who reacted to Senator Sani’s tweet agreed with him on the undesirability of military action against the Niger Republic.
Read some selected reactions here:
What is your opinion on the unfolding Niger crisis?
Ifyafrica (
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