Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, has urged Ghanaians to be cautious when discussing the coup in Niger in the media.
According to him, the constant negative reporting, particularly on Ghana’s stance regarding the military intervention by ECOWAS, sends the incorrect messages to the international community.
Divergent viewpoints exist over the choice to send troops to Niger for a military intervention. Some security analysts say that if Ghana supports the ECOWAS resolution, it could put itself at risk of foreign punishment. Others urged the government to use the funds to address basic problems facing Ghanaians, rather than squandering them on an unnecessary conflict.
However, the Kojo Oppong Nkrumah claimed that such a comment was the result of ignorance. He said that because Ghana is an ECOWAS member, it is bound by the choice to restore democracy to Niger.
According to the Information Minister, “insecurity somewhere is insecurity everywhere”; hence, it will be in Ghana’s interest to assist in resolving the problem diplomatically. In order to support his claim, he noted the fact that previous Presidents, including former President John Mahama, committed soldiers to the ECOWAS military operation in Mali.
Furthermore, he warned that if all member nations oppose the military action, the security situation in the Sahel region might worsen. Additionally, he stated that ECOWAS is still willing to speak with the coup leaders.
ECOWAS Not Acting In The Interest Of Africans
The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have come under fire from the former Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, for their recent decision on the Nigerien junta.
To compel the General Abdourahmane Tchiani-led Junta to revert to democratic rule, the leaders of the West African bloc made the decision to send soldiers into Niger.
Bernard Mornah, however, asserted that the West African bloc’s leaders are not operating in Africans’ best interests. “You are not acting in the interest of the Africans, and ECOWAS started wrongly,” he said.
Mornah called attention to a specific element of ECOWAS’ statement, emphasizing how it is unhelpful and violates the values of diplomacy and discussion to threaten to use force, if the junta refuses to cede power as asked.
“They said that the junta should hand over power to Bazoum; if they don’t do that, ECOWAS will go there with force. If you start by threatening me, I will harden my stance. If you see a soldier and you tell him that if you don’t give way for democracy, we will come there by force…we are waiting for you.”
“As you are threatening to go there with forces, Guinea told you that if you are attacking Niger, they will also attack you. If you are sending forces, Mali is also saying you are fighting us, and even Burkina Faso is also saying you are fighting us. Even me sitting here, you are fighting me because I am a Pan-Africanist.”
Bernard Mornah
He claimed that any use of force by ECOWAS would be seen as a declaration of war. “And so, any attempt by ECOWAS to use force is a declaration of war, and all Pan-Africanists will gather there to protest,” he noted.
