APA – Accra (Ghana)
The Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff and the Chief of Defence Staff of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has said his committee will work to restore democracy and sovereignty in Niger Republic.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day meeting on the political crisis in Niger Republic on Thursday in Accra, Ghana, General Musa stated that the collective action of the various armed forces in the region is not to allow the people of Niger to suffer needlessly, but to protect the integrity of ECOWAS States and their citizens.
He noted that the task would be daunting and stated that “democracy is what we stand for and it is what we encourage”.
In his speech, the Chief of Defence Staff of Ghana, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, said that democracy in the region should be safeguarded and encouraged.
According to him, the rise in coups has become a source of concern in the region.
Earlier in his address of welcome, Ghana’s Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, urged the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to swiftly activate the standby force of the community to restore constitutional order in coup-hit Niger.
Mr Nitiwul warned that if the junta in Niger was allowed to fester, it would have gained legitimacy and nobody would be safe in the region.
“The spirit of our people in West Africa is with you as you meet here to put the plan in place to meet the ECOWAS directive to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
“You and your dedicated and loyal troops, today, stand on the threshold of history as professionals who are being tasked to help the people of West Africa to enable them to elect their leaders through free, fair and transparent elections.
“I am of the firm belief that, you, who form part of the most experienced soldiers within our sub region will put in place a strategic plan that will boost the confidence of our people and restore hope to our various countries,” the report by the Ghanaian Times on Friday quoted the minister as saying.
The two-day meeting is being attended by nine of the 15 member states is in response to an extraordinary summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Friday, August 11, where the West African regional bloc directed the military chiefs to “promptly activate the ECOWAS Standby Force with all its elements” to intervene in Niger.
President Mohamed Bazoum’s two-year old government was toppled by Abdourahamane Tchiani, the former commander of the Niger presidential guard, on July 26, 2023.
GIK/APA
Ecowas security chiefs working to restore democracy in Niger – Gen. Musa
