Nigerian Crisis: ECOWAS, Nigeria and Fear of World Powers Involvement:
Undoubtedly Nigeria is a regional power in the West Africa sub region
By Trek Africa Newspaper
Nigeria has a population of over 200 million people and is reputed to be the biggest economy in Africa.
Nigeria’s GDP is expected to reach 491.71 USD Billion by the end of 2023, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations.
On the other hand, Kenya is a country in East Africa.
It is the Regional power in East Africa with a population of 55,100,586 people.
Kenya has a GDP 110.3 billion USD.
Kenya is also a fragile democracy and its election has always been troubled and contentious.
In 2017, kenya’s Supreme Court annulled it’s presidential election and ordered a fresh one which the opposition boycotted.
It’s 2022 presidential elections was hotly disputed by the opposition.
For two weeks, Kenya experienced a violent protest organized by the opposition protesting hike in tax and prices of goods and services.
Despite all the internal problems Kenya is being grappled and confronted with, she has not abandoned her obligation and responsibilities as a regional power in East Africa.
Kenya presently has troops in the Democratic Republic of of Congo to help DR. Congo fights an insurgency that threatens the peace, security and well being of the East African sub region.
Recently, Kenya agreed to deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti to help restore normalcy to the country that has been plunged by gang violence and waves of kidnapping by criminal and drugs syndicate.
Kenya said the move was in alignment with the African Union’s diaspora policy and it’s own commitment to Pan-Africanism which is aligns Kenya’s effort to stand in solidarity with all people of African descent across the world to “reclaiming of the Atlantic Crossing”.
Niger, a neighboring country to Nigeria has been rocked by a military coup leading to the overthrow of a civilian government headed by President Mohammed Bazoum.
The Nigerian President recently assumed the presidency of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS).
ECOWAS is a West African regional economic bloc founded in 1973.
On 9, July 2023 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed the presidency of ECOWAS he vowed to entrench democratic values and principles and warned that no military take over of any democratically elected government in ECOWAS would be tolerated under his presidency.
Niger has been racked by Jihadists violence, which the country armed forces have been fighting for over ten years.
As a result, the French and United States of America Armed Forces have been deployed to provide training and equipment to the Nigerien Armed Forces.
Therefore, in the crisis in Niger, France and the United States of America are on the same side with ECOWAS.
Both France and the United States have condemned the military coup in Niger and had called on the military leaders to restore democratic Civil rule in Niger.
Last week, a summit of ECOWAS leaders in Abuja, threatened military action against Niger’s junta after it took power in a coup last week.
The leaders gave the junta seven days to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, who is being held captive.
There has been fear that the refusal of the coupists in Niger to comply with the ultimatum of ECOWAS is capable of plunging to war in the West Africa sub region involving world powers with Attendant consequences to the countries in the region, especially Nigeria.
Some of the pundits have argued that Nigeria should steer clear of the situation in Niger and face her internal problems.
I do not argue with this perspectives and that is why I started my argument trying to make a comparison between Nigeria and Kenya that faces similar socio economic problems like Nigeria.
We all relish on Nigeria being the giant of Africa.
Therefore, if Nigeria is a Super Power in Africa why will she stand aloof over the unfolding situation in Niger?
Nigeria has a responsibility to ensure that Niger a country that falls within it’s sphere of influence does not suffer destabilization that can spill over into Nigeria.
The fear that if military action is taken against the Nigerien military junta it will drag Russia, France and United States into the conflict is speculative and therefore, unfounded. I have made the point earlier that France and the United States of America are on the same side with ECOWAS. Russia is not in Niger and it’s Wagner group does not operate there. Wagner group may be deployed to Mali and Burkina Faso, but there is nothing on ground to suggest that it will attack and get involved in Niger if ECOWAS intervened to restore constitutional order there.
@ Okoi Obono-Obla
