The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed its concern over the proposed “military intervention” plan in the coup-ridden Niger Republic. The plan is initiated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) currently led by President Bola Tinubu.
Drawing parallels with the Vietnam War of the 1950s, HURIWA warned against deploying troops to the Niger Republic, suggesting that the landlocked country could turn into a similar quagmire for West Africa. The Vietnam War saw the South Vietnamese government and US forces attempt to halt the spread of communism, resulting in a significant loss of American lives and an eventual withdrawal.
HURIWA, through its National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, criticized the decision as hypocritical. The group argued that ECOWAS should prioritize addressing the terrorist, kidnapping, and banditry issues plaguing Nigeria’s North-East and North-West states before intervening in external conflicts.
The statement further warned the Nigerian leader and ECOWAS chair to “remove the log in his eyes before removing the log in the eyes of others,” implying that domestic issues should be addressed first. The group labeled any action contrary to this as hypocrisy and double standards.
The crisis in Niger Republic escalated last week when General Abdourahmane Tchiani, also known as Omar Tchiani, who is the chief of Niger’s Presidential Guard, took control of the country. The elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, has been detained by the military since the coup last Wednesday.
This development is part of a growing trend of coups in West Africa. From August 2020 to date, five coups have taken place in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea. While the attempts in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau were thwarted, Nigeria’s neighbor, Chad, witnessed an unconstitutional change of government led by Lieutenant General Mahamat Idriss Déby following his father’s death in April 2021.
SOURCE: Independent
IMAGE: The News Guru
