Minister for Information Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has said that it is right for ECOWAS to use the military to get Niger to order if the Junta is not ready to hand over to civilian rule.
He has called on ECOWAS to force Niger into diplomacy since is part of their policies to solve any conflict.
He said there are lots of things not going on well in Niger
Is part of Ecowa’s arrangement to deploy the military on any country that acts stubbornly and there is nothing wrong with the use of force on Niger if they won’t comply with diplomacy.
ECOWAS has clearly stated that force is the last resort, but wants diplomacy to succeed. Instead of repeated calls on ECOWAS to abandon military intervention alternatives, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is urging commentators to rather pile pressure on the Military Junta to let diplomacy succeed, so that force will not be necessary.
Barely 24 hours after the end of an ultimatum for a possible military intervention if diplomacy fails, the Niger Coup leaders have now agreed to open up for dialogue. This comes after earlier attempts failed, which prompted meetings by ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff on alternative military action, in Accra last week.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah believes conversations and commentary on the matter, especially by Academia, CSOs and the Media should continue to focus on compelling the Junta to take the diplomatic option seriously.
Currently, the ECOWAS sanctions are having a toll on economic integration, development, livelihoods, peace and security. He said if nothing is done about the coups plaguing the West African region, they will have more devastating consequences on the economy of the member states.
Story by: Ahma Baidoo / Ahotoronline.com
