A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has posed some questions to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over the Niger Republic situation.
Recall ECOWAS defence chiefs had agreed upon a tentative date for potential military intervention in Niger should diplomatic negotiations fail.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, discussed the potential “D-Day” following a two-day summit in Ghana.
Sharing his thoughts via a series of questions shared on his Twitter handle on Monday morning, Fani-Kayode wondered why a country whose civilians are in support of their oppressors should be attacked.
Speaking further, he wondered who would be responsible for the financial resources if the regional bloc decides to attack the embattled country.
He lamented that Nigeria is not in a financial position to support the logistics involved in going to war
According to him, “I am constrained to respectfully put the following questions to these ECOWAS military commanders and I challenge them to provide the answers.
“Can we successfully attack a country where the civilians are holding rallies in solidatiry with their supposed oppressors?
“Quite apart from that has this ECOWAS “force” already been formed or will they divide the operation into sectors with each country taking a sector?
“Quite apart from that has this ECOWAS “force” already been formed or will they divide the operation into sectors with each country taking a sector?
“Where is the Command HQ located? Who takes care of Nigér’s sector 3 of the MNJTF in the Lake Chad, for I guess they will withdraw their troops?
“If Burkina Faso and Mali join Nigér forces, as they threatened they would, who blocks the southward movement of the insurgents and terrorists scattered around the triangular borders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigér?
“Is the Russian Wagner force still active in the region? Have we prepared adequately to handle the weapons and drug-trafficking across the borders with Niger since our partners in that nation are now our enemies?
“Even with them working with us, cross border crimes are still serious issues.
“Will the AU or the UN or the West be responsible for the logistics? As at now Nigeria can’t afford to do so like it did in ECOMOG. We simply do not have the financial wherewithal or the resources.
“In my view we should still vigorously pursue the application of conflict resolution mechanisms in order to buy time to address these questions.
“If Niger Republic and her allies deliberately open a corridor for the elements of ISIS, AQIM, ISWAP etc to move into Benin and Togo, ECOWAS’ weakest link, then the whole of Nigeria’s western borders, from Sokoto to Lagos, would be vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
“Already some of the elements have penetrated into Niger State, around Borgu and Shiriro, very close to Benin Republic and some states in the South West of Nigeria”
