Category: Inside Africa

By: Oluwadara Akingbohungbe

Over the years whenever military coup occurs in any nation, there is negligence of democratic tendencies.

In this case, the military takes over absolute power within the nation ousted, however one of the defenses of the military incursion into politics most is corrupt practices of democratic leaders.

Gabon coup d’etat was orchestrated due to the negligence of Gabon democratic government, the outed Gabon President Ali Bongo was said to have been in power since the death of the former President in 2009 who happened to be his father. The Bongo’s family was alleged to have been ruling for 53 years in Gabon.

The price of crude oil went up after last Wednesday’s military take over in Gabon, a Central Africa country, which produces and export crude oil as a member of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) because the military government of Gabon closes the borders leading to the country.

The military adventurists cited irregularities in August 26 General Election in Gabon, in which according to the Electoral body of Gabon Ali Bongo won the two third majority of the vote.

Read Also: I don’t like military incursion but happy with Gabon coup, says Fayose

The ousted president was placed under house arrest by the military. The Military Government of Gabon announced Brice Oligiu as the new Military President.

However there has been several demonstration of protesters in support of the military president in France Colonised Country, Gabon.

As long as African leaders allow institutional coup under the auspice of democracy with the negligence of liberal democracy, military incursion will continue to spread sporadically in the continent

There is a video circulating in the internet of several Gabon currencies reportedly found in the apartments of the former democratic leaders.

Africa is blessws with natural resources but the leadership of Africa is managed by corrupt democratic leaders, making the incursion of military seemingly attractive.

Is military government a blessing or a curse? Those who have witnessed it will testify one of the demerits is the suspension of constitution and lack of freedom of expression. As a matter of fact, some of the demerits of military government are witnessed in some so-called under democratic governments in Africa.

The issue is it is not as if the people of Gabon are interested in the military but they don’t just want the Bongo’s family dynasty again.

They need a new face. That was why they demonstrated in support of military rule in their country.

What will be the outcome of the military actions in Gabon? There is an imposition of curfew from 6:00PM – 6:00AM by the military Government of Gabon .

The military should organise a transitional committee to set up democratic elections in which the outed President will be disqualified and tried in the Court of law and if find guilty, he should face the wrath of the law.

Then the military should peacefully handover power to a democratically elected President since military rule is no longer accepted in this era.

• By, Yushau A. Shuaib

The hurriedly declared resolution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to deploy troops to restore democracy and reinstate the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger Republic, after the military takeover of power on the 26th of July, might have been influenced by the need to avoid foreign interventions that could lead to the kinds of destruction and agony evident in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, and elsewhere.

In its keen and swift desire for a resolution to the crisis, President Bola Tinubu, on behalf of ECOWAS, raised special envoys, comprising former Nigerian leader, General Abdulsalam Abubakar; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar III and the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Alieu Touray, to mediate in the unfolding crisis in Niger. Unfortunately, the Coup leader, Abdourahmane Tchiani, snubbed the delegation by refusing to receive them, even though he later received the former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. It was quite disheartening that the official delegation was not even given access to leave the airport in Niamey in the endeavour to meet with Tchiani and Bazoum.

It is gratifying that Tinubu subsequently constituted another powerful delegation, comprising top Islamic clerics, to open talks with the junta in Niger, which has now agreed to dialogue with the ECOWAS on the way forward in the country.

The latest action by ECOWAS is possibly to checkmate what appears to be an evolving annual ritual, evident in the past three years, in which military personnel in Francophone countries in the subregion are overthrowing democratically elected leaders. The coup plotters removed Presidents Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali in 2020, Alpha Condé of Guinea in 2021, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré of Burkina Faso in 2022 and now President Mohamad Bazoum of Niger in 2023.

The military juntas, led by Colonel Assimi Goïta in Mali, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya in Guinea, and Captain Ibrahim Traoré in Burkina Faso, were mostly trained by the U.S. In fact, Goita and Doumbouya attended a 2019 US military training exercise in Burkina Faso. Surprisingly after taking over, they also drove away French troops and allegedly invited Russian mercenary forces in as their replacement.

While increasing complaints about poor governance, escalating poverty and insecurity are often cited for the coups, a deeper factor is the geopolitics of resource access and control. This involves foreign interests’ desires to explore and control the abundant mineral resources of West African nations. Hence, the ascendant tension in Niger and the wider subregion are impelled by the imperialist and economic rivalry between the East and the West.

As it is now, if appropriate steps are not taken to defuse the budding conflict in Niger Republic, the ongoing proxy war between Russia and NATO/USA over Ukraine, can easily creep into West Africa, where diverse groups of mercenaries and Western Special Forces are already stationed across different locations, and with the military bases just waiting for instructions from their commanders for armed actions to break out.

In many instances, military actions and interventions are not only carried out on battlegrounds but they are first activated in the minds of the public through crude propaganda. The conflict in Ukraine, for instance, exposes how the Western media – essentially – display their extreme biases in reportage, as they engage in psychological warfare, propagating one-sided and selective facts, while censoring counterclaims and obvious facts. Rather than striving for fair, conflict-sensitive, and objective reports towards the promotion of peace, they are advancing a highly inflammatory and pernicious form of war journalism and thereby escalating the crises in the process. This appears to be working to certain ends.

A similar instance of this that we should never forget in a hurry is the conspiracy involving the Western media over the so-called accumulation of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and the democratisation campaign in Libya, which led to the elimination of the leaders of the two mentioned countries, Saddam Hussein and Muammar Ghadafi, and to the death of scores of innocent citizens through the aggression of the allied forces and NATO.

In considering the unfortunate case of poor Ukraine, which has become the battleground for the flexing of muscles between Russian mercenaries and Western (US/NATO) Special Forces – with attendant devastation that would take several years, if not decades, to recover from – care should be seriously taken so that West Africa does not become next theatre of a proxy war between foreign powers driven by agenda that is far from the liberation of the subregion and larger continent from their debilitating challenges.

Although the Russian government does not have military bases in Africa like US and France that represents NATO do, its presence is strongly felt through the activities of the Wagner Group of armed mercenaries, which executes the government’s military cooperation agreements, especially in a number of West African states.

While Wagner’s fighters are hired by African leaders for regime protection and to consolidate their hold on power, the Group, founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin as a private military company, operates with the permission of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The mercenaries are hired to suppress dissent, guard natural resources, engage in direct combat with adversaries, bolster weak official military forces, and explore newer areas of strategic vulnerability towards rooting out the West’s declining influence in many sensitive spots around the world. Of its numerous engagements, the Wagner Group is more keenly involved in providing security cover for well-laden but remote mineral sites that are often under the constant threat of non-state actors.

Meanwhile, as mercenaries are having their ways in the African region, NATO through the US continues to carry out joint military exercises with other allies and partners in contiguous territorial spaces within the region. For instance, the US Africa Command (USAFRICOM), headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany (another NATO member), is one of the US Department of Defense combatant commands, with a geographic or functional mission that provides for the command and control of military forces for peace and war. It has military bases in select African countries.

In the West African rim of the Sahel, for instance, the United States under President Joe Biden has two military bases in Niger – Air Base 101 in Niamey, and Air Base 201 in Agadez, which was constructed at the cost of $110 million. The American interventions in Niger have included the deployment of special operations forces, unmanned aerial vehicles and drones by its Air Force, while the CIA has engaged in counter-terrorism operations.

After its ejection from the other francophone countries in West Africa, France (NATO member), with the support of America, has reinforced its presence in Niger and dispatched hundreds of its operatives to the southwest of the country, towards the Malian border. Niger previously served mainly as a transit base for France’s operations in Mali.

And just recently, precisely in May 2023, in a new strategic partnership, Niger accepted 1,500 French soldiers on its soil to bolster its armed forces, at a time of a great security threat. Before then the European Union (EU) had accepted the call from Niger’s parliament to station special operations forces (SOF) in the country in order to counter its problems of insecurity. Note that the security of EU and NATO are inter-connected having respectively 27 and 31 member states, of which 22 states are members of both.

It is also worth noting that the US and French Special Forces have jointly and discreetly undertaken major military operations within the ECOWAS region. It could be recalled that at some point the US special forces secretly came into Nigeria and killed several kidnappers while rescuing a 27-year-old American citizen, Philip Walton, who was abducted in Niger in 2020.

Similarly, during the Tongo Tongo ambush in 2017, when armed terrorists attacked US and Nigerien soldiers in an ambush, French aircraft swiftly responded to this and brought the fire-fight to an end. Although some Americans and Nigeriens were killed during the military intervention, many soldiers actually survived that operation.

Read Also: ECOWAS’ll follow sanctions against Niger junta to the letter — Tinubu

While ECOWAS is struggling to ensure that the Niger crisis is resolved amicably, some Nigerians are unmindful of their provocative behaviours and statements. It is quite shameful that those who never experienced a civil war or a coup, are the ones clamouring for a military intervention in the world’s most populous black nation on the basis of myopic sentiments.

Any attempt to disrupt the current democratic administration, under the leadership of President Tinubu, will not only lead to the dissolution of the country but would unleash on each region monumental security challenges that it barely has the capacity to contend with. Imagine an ‘explosion’ of terrorism in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, kidnappings in the North-Central, volatile militancy in the South-South, violent secessionist agitation in the South-East, and cultism in the South-West. No single region will be willing to stick its neck out in furtherance of any campaign for a united country thereafter.

In a nutshell, I agree with the recent position of the Arewa Economic Forum (AEC) supporting the deepening of democratic principles in the subregion and urging ECOWAS to allow the socio-economic reality of Nigeriens to govern their choices. While suggesting that sanctions should be targeted at the military junta and its cronies, the Forum yet admonished that ways have to be found to protect innocent citizens, especially vulnerable people, including traders, women and children, from these penalties.

Being one of the poorest nations on earth, any further deterioration of the precarious living conditions of Nigeriens would activate hordes of new migrations into Nigeria for succour, which will invariably burden our current economic situation and put further pressure on our scarce national resources.

All said, Nigeria must avoid going into a new war when the country is yet to contain ISWAP-Boko Haram terrorism and the pervasive acts of banditry, especially along the Northern corridor. Dialogue and diplomacy should be sustained towards resolving not only the Nigerien but also the ECOWAS crises.

Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of “An Encounter with the Spymaster” and “Award Winning Crisis Communication Strategies”

Email: yashuaib@yahoo.com

By Stephen Sylvanus Bitrus

On the morning of July 12, 2023, I set out to embark on what was planned to be a week journey of discovery to Cape Verde. Departing Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport around 10am to Lomé (Togo) then to Dakar (Senegal) then to Sal (An Island of Cape Verde) and finally Praia my final destination. ETA was 8:20pm. This was quite a hectic trip but I was excited to meet with my host- A Cape Verde citizen and my friend- A French Citizen who flew in a day prior was on holiday in Cape Verde (Both Names withheld for confidentiality).

The Journey went on as planned, I arrived at Praia approximately 20minutes earlier than the initial Estimated Time of Arrival. I quickly and happily informed my hosts about my arrival and requested them to come and fetch me from the airport. At passport control, it didn’t take long before it was my turn. The immigration police asked to see my travel documents (Passport, Yellow Vaccination card, Proof of accommodation, return ticket and 1000 euros CASH).

Except for the 1000 euros Cash, I presented all other documents requested. They insisted to see 1000 euros cash. Despite informing them that I have some USDs in my bank account, they insisted to see cash. I expressed my surprise as this is not mentioned anywhere in the Cape Verde Immigration website. I quickly contacted my hosts to update them about the situation. My friend was surprised because no one asked her for 1000euros on arrival.

It was already 9:50pm. At this time, I was unable to Log in to my bank app so I requested for 15 mins to keep trying in case they may change their minds, and I sent an email as well to my bank requesting for my account statement. I also messaged my hosts to come with some cash, bank statement or any useful document that could help resolve the situation. Praia is 2 hours ahead of Abuja so it was past 12am Abuja time, banks in Nigeria only work for 8hrs-day shift.

As I explained and tried to earn some patience from the airport police, I was soon surrounded by multiple officers speaking in the local language and sometimes in French, I did not speak or understand what the conversations were about, they continued talking and taking pictures of me.

Read Also: Nigerian lawyer wins $75,000 Waislitz Global Citizens’ Choice Award

Soon I was taken into a room and asked to unlock my backpack (my only luggage) All content were thoroughly searched while I watched and answered their questions. My small purse was equally searched containing my two other old full passports and my work IDs. I was also asked to take off my hat, Jacket, wristwatch, belt, shoe laces and to submit my phones. I complied and they took everything away.

I was led through a hallway and three gates were shut behind. I was searched again to my underwear and was locked up in a small room.

Condition in this room was terrible to describe. There was no window, the room was very smelly and dirty with dead roaches on the floor, toilet was with human wastes in it unflushed, soiled diapers in the bin, the mattress foam is bare without any covering.  The air conditioning in this room was not possible to regulate, soon the room became very cold, I had no blanket I was refused from using my jacket. It was such a small space with no sounds, I Panicked.

The lights were very bright when turned ON and the room was very dark when lights are turned OFF. It didn’t take long before I lost orientation to time, I could not tell if it was day or night since there was no clock in the room. There was no soap to even wash my hand, I was denied access to anything, I was refused access my personal hygiene items-even my toothbrush. Considering the length of my journey,

I was very tired, hungry and thirsty and all attempts to call (banging the door) and requests for water were ignored.

My request to speak with my host and my friend was also refused. My friend and host were refused access to see me too, they remained in the airport throughout the night. I shivered while I tried to sleep on a bare mattress in the cold smelly room.

I heard very loud door noises and bangs and lights were turned ON, it was the police. During this visit, I received the most important encouragement via a letter from my friend it was so reassuring. After many requests I was then allowed to make a phone call, it was 07:40am I quickly headed straight for my banking app, I was lucky to log in successfully at that time. I immediately and gladly showed the airport police my account balance (Over $3,000) but my heart sank when he said to me; “Its too late” and took my phones back and asked me to return to my cell. I have never felt so helpless and powerless in my life- I was unsure and confuse what crime I committed as the nature of my offence was not explained to me or how long I was going to be detained for.

I received food and water that morning. Further attempts to ask for answers from any senior police officer were rejected, likewise attempts to communicate with my friends. Request to use my jacket was also refused and likewise my request to keep personal hygiene. I was frustrated.

I received another note from my friend reassuring me informing me about their efforts to remedy the situation:

Two Local lawyers were hired, since one of my friends is a French citizen and I have a French contract with my employer, the French embassy was contacted for any assistance possible, my employer was also contacted, the interior minister of Cape Verde was contacted by the lawyers, the director of airport police was also contacted. Certain documents were requested and provided-

-Letter to the interior minister, letter the police director, an attestation by my French friend as a guarantee that they will shoulder all expenses, copy of passports, attestation letter from my employer, return ticket.

My hopes were high that the nightmare would soon be over. I was anxious and desperate. Many hours went by without any news. After a phone call with my friend that evening, I was told that it was decided that I would need to return to Dakar and then reenter Cape Verde again.

That evening, I began to feel sick, and got worse during the night- I had 6 episodes of diarrhea and vomited 1 time. I had no strength to bang the door, so I continued to drink the water I had while I waited until the police visited in the morning. Two medics were called from the fire department, they checked my vital signs, blood sugar, they asked me to eat. I had no appetite, I explained, I requested for some oral rehydration solution but was instead pressured to eat.

My general condition was deteriorating. I requested the police to allow me update my friends about my health. After insisting on several attempts, I was allowed and only then I knew that I was going to be sent to Dakar in the evening with the Air Senegal flight of 6pm.

That evening when it was time to leave, I was given my belongings and asked to follow a police officer who escorted me to the plane where I met my friend from France who decided to accompany me on same flight to Dakar. We left on the 6:30pm flight to Dakar and never returned to Cape Verde.

The Governor of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Europe Chapter, Collins Idahosa, has called for a revisit of diaspora voting during general elections in Nigeria.

Idahosa, who was recently appointed by NYCN President, Sukubo Sukubo, made this call during a zoom meeting with the members of the council in Europe.

The Swedish-based said participation of Nigerians abroad in voting at home should be seriously considered.

This, he said, would nurture Nigerian democracy.

“We should lend our voices to the current agitation for diaspora voting and how it should be coordinated to encourage more participation in deciding our leaders and elected offices from our local government level to the presidency,” he said.

He promised to use his position to give Nigerian youths abroad a sense of belonging.

“We will inform them that part of our purpose is to protect and give voice to the plight of the youths abroad and liaise with those youths in Nigeria. The current pains and sufferings endured by our youths and elderly must be brought to the attention of the policy makers and respective arms of the government,” he added.

The council, he said, should leverage on its vast network to suggest to the powers that be the aspirations for a brighter future and practical way of achieving it

“We should be able to recommend members to the state and federal government to have appointments to be able to represent the interest of the youths and people in diaspora,” he stated.

Read Also: Dokubo, not Kanu should be behind bars – NYCN

After the meeting, Idahosa announced the appointment of some coordinators to enhance effective and efficient service delivery

They include Mrs Aghanti Tarela and Oludare Olusola Olowora for the United Kingdom; Prince Noble Otadaferua – Netherland; Dr Ayo Anifowose – Germany DENG; Micheal Otumun – Czech Republic; Oyediran Oyedayo – Poland; Victor Chibuike Osuji – Turkey; Ebhodaghe Joe – Belgium; Osas Otabor – Luxembourg; Morgan Omorogbe – Italy and Mercy Osaigbovo – Scotland.

Idahosa said Olaoluwa Oyedola, who anchored the zoom meeting, will serve as the Organisation Secretary.

He enjoined them to coordinate youth activities and report to the office of the Governor.

A security expert, Amb. Abayomi Mumuni, has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to use diplomatic engagement and communications to resolve the ongoing crisis rocking the Republic of Niger.

He said ECOWAS must intensify efforts to secure release of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum rather than military intervention.

Bazoum has been held hostage following military takeover of Niger Republic on July 26.

ECOWAS, chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, described the coup as unacceptable, giving the junta a deadline to restore democratic rule.

A statement by Mumuni’s media aide, Rasheed Abubakar, maintained war is not solution to the problem, saying Tinubu should not be provoked to settle for military intervention which it’s outcome may be brutal.

The counter-terrorism expert from the Certified Counter-Terrorism Practitioner Network, UK said: “The first thing that should have been on the priority list of ECOWAS when the coup was announced is securing the release of President Mohamed Bazoum. And this should be done through robust diplomatic engagements and persuasive communications.”

“War or military intervention is not the answer. I think ECOWAS can do better to manage the crisis rather than setting for war whose consequence would be untold and brutal. 

“Therefore, the ECOWAS chieftains should intensify diplomatic engagements and persuasive communications with the junta. They should not be deterred by the fact that the last diplomatic engagement failed.

“In all of these crises, the life of the ousted president is most precious. He should come out alive first. Any declaration of war may see him killed, which would defeat the essence of the whole thing. Bazoum’s release should top the priorities of ECOWAS. They should do more and continue to press for his release by the junta.”

The counter-terrorism and intelligence specialist further said that younger military chiefs and generals should be made to lead the ECOWAS mission.

Read Also: ECOWAS, AU leaders meet over adamant Niger junta

According to him: “These officers, especially from Francophone countries, would be able to speak to the junta in the language they understand and hopefully broker peace and the release of the ousted president. The junta are of the younger generation and they would get along with people of their generation.

“President Tinubu should resist temptations to deploy ECOWAS troops to Niger. He should not be surprised if other Francophone nations in the association later pitch their tents with Niger if War were to break out. We have quite different orientations. They were colonised by France and Nigeria was a British colony.

“Though our military establishment is fierce and strong in the African community, it has been overstretched by internal terrorism. We shouldn’t add more burden with the Niger crisis that effective diplomatic engagements and strategies can solve.”

“Right now, the Western gladiators are seeing this as another opportunity to see Africa go into war against itself. We must never allow that happen.”