Put pressure on Junta in Niger to comply with diplomacy-Oppong Nkrumah
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has urged Civil Society Organizations and the Media to join in continous efforts to encourage the Nigerien Junta to comply with diplomacy in finding lasting solution to the current impasse in that country.
Mr Nkrumah said the call is important since it helps not to undermine efforts by ECOWAS on restoring Niger back to Democratic rule.
“I want to appeal to CSOs, academia and the media to assist continuous efforts that will urge the junta to comply with diplomacy instead of making comments that rather question ECOWAS methods, “ he said.
ECOWAS has clearly stated that force is a last resort but wishes diplomacy to succeed.
He argued that instead of repeated calls on ECOWAS to abandon military intervention alternatives, commentators should rather pile pressure on the Military Junta to let diplomacy succeed so force will not be necessary.
Barely 24hours of concluding plans for a possible military intervention if diplomacy fails, the Niger Coup leaders have now agreed to open up for negotiations.
This comes after earlier attempts failed which prompted meetings by ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence staff on military intervention as an alternative.
Mr Nkrumah believes that conversations and commentary on the matter especially by academia, CSOs and the media should continue to focus on persuading the junta to take the diplomacy option seriously.
“Though these interventions have been advertised as solutions to the growing terrorist incidents in Burkina, Mali and Niger, the data suggests that Terrorism is getting worse rather after these interventions.
“It is thus important that we shift from the propaganda and work towards the speedy resolution of democratic civilian governments to provide better structures to stem the tide” Mr Nkrumah said
