National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Addressing concerns over ECOWAS’ intentions, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, former Minister of External Affairs, refutes claims that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is aligned with foreign interests, particularly France, in its endeavors to address political turbulence in Niger.
The recent military coup that led to the detainment of President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26th prompted ECOWAS to intervene with the goal of reinstating political stability in Niger. ECOWAS’ response, including imposing sanctions and considering military action, has sparked speculations that their actions are influenced by French directives.
During a segment on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Prof. Akinyemi asserted that while he does not support French activities in Africa, ECOWAS is solely focused on preventing the proliferation of coups within the sub-region, not safeguarding French interests.
“The French have troops there (Niger) and those troops have to go because if they have been there and the terrorism activities in the Sahel whether in Mali, Niger or Burkina Faso have been there and yet the French troops have been there for 60 years you wonder, what have they been doing? They have been looking after France’s interests and not the interest of the Africans.
“So, the French troops deserve to go; I am not defending France at all. But as a scholar, I don’t see ECOWAS policies being in tandem with French policies. The French has its interest which is to protect its economic interest; ECOWAS’ interest was to regard the coup in Niger as a threat to their stability and safety in their own countries.
“They (ECOWAS) don’t want the spread of coups into their territories. That is why they felt they had to draw the line in Niger. So, that does not mean that ECOWAS is being tele-guided by France or that Nigeria is being tele-guided by France,” Akinyemi said.
At the recent extraordinary summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, ECOWAS resolved to deploy its standby force to reinstate democracy in Niger, underscoring the organization’s commitment to regional stability.
(The Channels TV)
