The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the apex mouthpiece of the North, has called for the lifting of sanctions against Niger Republic by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This call was conveyed through a statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of ACF, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, and made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday.
The statement highlighted, “We at the ACF would like to reiterate our condemnation of the coup and demand that the personal safety of President Mohamed Bazoum and members of his government be guaranteed by the coup leaders.”
It continued, “Nigeria and Niger have had brotherly relations over the years, and the ACF, upon reviewing the latest political impasse, economic sanctions, and the expiration of the one-week deadline given to the military junta in Niger, have come to the conclusion that dialogue remains the best option to avoid a catastrophic occurrence of events between the two nations and the West African sub-region.”
The statement urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ECOWAS to review the situation and restore full dialogue with the Nigerien military junta through the immediate lifting of the economic blockade and other sanctions imposed on the country as a sign of goodwill to facilitate swift dialogue.
It also emphasized the need for President Tinubu and ECOWAS to reconsider their approach to the Niger situation based on concrete realities. The statement pointed out that neighbouring countries like Algeria, Libya, and Chad, which are not part of the ECOWAS region, might perceive potential military aggression as a declaration of war against their borders.
“With Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinean military juntas also declaring support for the Niger coup leaders, the situation calls for caution so as not to further inflame the West African region,” the statement stressed.
The ACF statement also commended the members of the Northern Senators Forum for their efforts in convincing their Senate colleagues to reject the outright use of force against the Niger Republic. The organization also appreciated the upper chamber of Nigeria’s National Assembly for adopting a peaceful approach to the resolution of the potentially catastrophic conflict.
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