- By Halimah Olamide
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said that the crisis in Niger requires diplomatic engagement and calls for a well-sustained channel of dialogue.
He stated this in a tweet Thursday evening, saying that the world expects Nigeria to take up leadership in ensuring that the crisis of political leadership in the Republic of Niger is not just curtailed but also in ensuring the restoration of democratic governance in that country.
“While the expectations that fall on Nigeria as the sub-regional leader is not a quick fix, it must be expressed that the role taken so far by the Economic Community of West African States has been commendable,”
However, he warned ECOWAS countries not to attempt to use the military to take out the Niger Republic coupists.
“As the ECOWAS continues to work towards reinstating democracy in the Republic of Niger, it must be reinforced that the regional body should not travel the road of military hostilities that may exacerbate the status quo.
Abubakar highlighted the tension this has also caused across the West African sub-region and the global attention it has attracted.
“The putsch is even more worrisome because the number of states that have witnessed military intervention in the last three years in the subregion is increasing.
“Of course, the world expects Nigeria to take up leadership in ensuring that the crisis of political leadership in the Republic of Niger is not just curtailed but also ensuring the restoration of democratic governance in that country.
“While the world expects Nigeria to take a leading role in this process of peaceful conflict resolution, it must be clear to the military insurrectionists in the Republic of Niger that the world cannot afford to wait for too long before this crisis is resolved reasonably.
“This is undoubtedly a challenging time for the West African region. However, any actions taken towards the prompt resolution of the crisis in the Republic of Niger must prioritize democracy as the ultimate victor. -AA”
On the 26th of July, the President Mohamed Bazoum-led government was toppled by a group of military officers, a development that has been condemned across the world.