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Nigeria’s Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa has called for “collective attention and a united response” among the defence chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore democratic governance in Niger.
Musa spoke during a meeting of the ECOWAS defence chiefs on Wednesday in Abuja.
The meeting was attended by 10 countries including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Liberia, Ghana, Gambia, Cote D’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Benin and Senegal, while Mali, Niger, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Burkina Faso were absent.
The meeting was in response to the directive of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS during its Extraordinary Session in Abuja on Jul 30.
The CDS said the region must face the challenges of restoring democratic governance in Niger head-on, drawing on their shared experiences, wisdom, and collective resolve.
Musa, who is the current President of the ECOWAS Committee of CDS, said the decisions that would be taken at the meeting would have far-reaching implications for the ECOWAS region.
“Accordingly, this extraordinary meeting is a fallout of the Final Communique of that Meeting.
“To this end, we are assembled here today not only as heads of our various Armed Forces but also as members of an interrelated regional community.
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“The event that transpired in one of our countries on July 26 has reverberated across our borders, affecting us all.
“The recent coup d’etat in the Republic of Niger is one event that calls for our collective attention and a united response.
“We must face the challenges of restoring democratic governance in Niger head-on, drawing on our shared experiences, wisdom, and collective resolve.
“ECOWAS’ strength lies in unity, shared values, and commitment to democracy, peace, and prosperity.
“In this regard, we are tasked with a mission to restore democracy in the Republic of Niger and preserve germane humanitarian principles across the region.
“Our decisions will inevitably shape the lives of millions of people around the sub-continent,” he said.
Musa said the ECOWAS, since its establishment, had remained steadfast in promoting economic cooperation and regional integration and had stood against any form of illegal takeover of power, as enshrined in the 2001 Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
He said it was the principle that compelled them to convene the meeting to address the current situation in Niger.
(NAN)
