*IS* *ECOWAS* *POISED* *TO* **ATTACK** *NIGER* ? *OR* * *THEY* *JUST* *THREATENING* ? *THE* *LATEST* *IS* *COUP* *LEADERS* *HAVE* *ANNOUNCED* *A* *THREE* *YEAR* *TRANSITIONAL* *TIME-LINE*
BY Umaru Kande
Independent political and social analyst New York city bureau chief USA.
Defense chief of the Economic Community of West African states have held their first latest meeting in Ghana and the NPR has reported in their Saturday morning broadcast that a date has been agreed upon . Whether ECOWAS will go in is anyone’s guess.
They have also met for the first time with the coup leaders and the ousted president. As of now,there is no movement agreed upon to restore the ousted president. The guys are defiant.They have just announced a three year transitional TIME-LINE.
This is tough but as I have said before ,there is nothing wrong if the aim is to restore civilian democratic governmenance not only in NIGER but in sub Saharan Africa specifically the ECOWAS geo political entity. What l am also saying is one military intervention might be successful. And I deliberately use the word might because nothing is ๐ฏ percent sure. One intervention will not solve west Africa’s coup syndrome. We have to be rational and face reality. Something is deeply wrong.
My personal opinion is the NIGER coup should have served as a big wake up call for everyone interested in true multi party democratic governance not only in Sub Saharan Africa but Mother Africa as a whole. Africa’s political elites living in Africa and overseas be they in the middle east, Europe, the United States or Australia together with our international partners must engage our military and police including also all para militaries from top to bottom giving everyone one a respectable seat at the table to air their views and opinions freely without fear of retribution.
We don’t stop there, we must also engage the political establishments, the civil society across West Africa, our university professors and college tutors, primary and secondary schools teachers and students of primary, secondary, colleges and universities. Not forgetting the civil services, market women and business owners. All sectors of our Sub region must be included in the thorough search for answers to retool Sub Saharan Africa and Mother Africa into the 21st century. This should be our moment. Africa’s Renaissance.
May the God Almighty enlighten the minds of our leaders .
More on this issue in my next article.
