… Condemns military intervention
Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), has implored ECOWAS to determine what value her actions will add generally to the region politically and economically following the recent coup d’etat in Niger Republic.
and the subsequent sanctions imposed and the threats of a military intervention.
This was contained in a Press release titled : “Niger Coup: ECOWAS: What is the Value Addition” issued and signed by the National Amirah, Mrs. Rafiah Idowu Sanni and the Public Relations Officer, Hon. Maimuna Momodu which was made available to the media .
The Muslim women said ECOWAS should realize that border closure and electricity cuts adversely affect livelihoods by deepening poverty among ordinary citizens of Niger Republic, which ranks seventh in global poverty.
The sanctions, the association observed would also affect the economies of the neighboring countries like BurkinaFaso, Mali, Chad, Benin republic, including Nigeria where seven Northern States in the country share borders with Niger Republic (Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Yobe, and Borno) whom were already displaced by the ravages of Boko haram, banditry and kidnappings which had denied livelihoods arising from sanctions.
FOMWAN called for the removal of the sanctions to reduce the sufferings of the people saying that sanctions do not have any value-addition.
The association decried that women and children are most likely to bear the brunt of the political actions of the ECOWAS states as it noted that 11.2million people have already been displaced in West and Central African Republic as reported in 2022,reporting.unhcr.org, women and girls are 6.7million while children are 1.7million.
“ECOWAS needs to arrest this trend as a regional body because it affects the education of children and exposes women and girls to sexual exploitation and other forms of violence.”
” Promoting more displacements of citizens within the West African sub-region is definitely a major setback for our development stride.”
According to the association, military intervention should not be an option for ECOWAS, but dialogue because the vagaries of wars and social unrests create unpredictable situations whose direction and end is unknown.
It called on ECOWAS to be careful not to pitch her forces against superior gang-up of other forces who have resolved to support Niger in the event of a military intervention.
It observed the need for ECOWAS to interrogate the recurrence of military coups in West Africa, with the apparent overwhelming support of the populace.
“To entrench democracy in the sub-region, ECOWAS countries must be seen to walk the talk by making democracy the attractive option for ordinary people, a Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
FOMWAN appealed that ECOWAS should jettison all coercive strategies with the Niger junta but to work with the internal stakeholders in Niger Republic to draw up a timetable of a return to democracy in that country.
” It is also timely that ECOWAS has an agenda for its member-countries to deliver on their development mandates by promoting transparency, accountability and good governance in the region.”
This, it stated is the viable route to sustaining democracy and preventing further coups and adding value to the lives of people and drive sustainable development.
It however, reiterates the use of more diplomatic approach that stands to yield better result.
