Former Deputy General Secretary of the National Patriotic Party (NPP), lawyer Obiri Boahen, has objected to the decision by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to deploy an army to restore democracy in Niger following the recent coup.
Voicing his concerns in an interview on Okay FM, he emphasized that any external action, particularly military intervention, should be preceded by a thorough understanding of the ground realities.
He questioned the efficacy of employing military forces as a means to deter future coup attempts within the sub-region.
According to him, the threat of military retaliation from countries like Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Mali, which have previously experienced similar coups, raises apprehensions about the consequences of deploying troops.
"They are joking, but with due respect to all the leaders involved, they are just joking, right now that they are saying they want to send troops to restore the president who has been removed…does it makes sense, with due respect …they are kidding they are not conversant with what is happening in the sub-region," he said.
He added, "But for myself and for my country Ghana, I am saying that it is a dangerous thing for the government to send its soldiers there, and you see the soldiers are quiet because they cannot talk, and as I am saying this, a lot of them are very happy about it."
West African army chiefs gathered in Accra on August 17, 2023, to deliberate on a potential deployment of an armed intervention aimed at restoring constitutional order in the Republic of Niger after a military junta failed to reinstate Mohamed Bazoum as president.
The meeting, which spanned a two-day period from August 17 to August 18, 2023, was part of a coordinated effort by ECOWAS to address the ongoing political crisis in Niger.
The meeting was a direct follow-up to the directive issued by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government during an Extraordinary Summit held on August 10, 2023, in Abuja, Nigeria.
Leaders decided to take decisive action if diplomatic efforts failed to yield the desired results.
The list of attendees includes the Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Togo, Benin, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Gambia among others.
Addressing the attendees at the meeting, Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, emphasized the importance of diplomatic efforts but also highlighted the readiness of the standby force to take action if necessary.
AM/SARA
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