Nasir El-Rufai, the ex-governor of Kaduna, has cautioned ECOWAS about contemplating a military intervention in Niger Republic.
This comes in response to ECOWAS Chairperson President Bola Tinubu’s announcement that the group is prepared to use force if the Niger coup leaders don’t relinquish power to ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
Following a gathering of the regional defense leaders in Accra, the capital of Ghana, ECOWAS announced on Thursday that it had initiated the mobilization of its ready-to-deploy force in Niger.
In a tweet posted on Tuesday, El-Rufai expressed that a conflict within the sub-region would essentially amount to a conflict between brethren.
“As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’, because a war within our subregion is a war between brothers,” El-Rufai tweeted.
“Indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria. Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers.”
The Defense chiefs in agreement with the need for diplomacy as a method of mediation, yet emphasized that comprehensive preparations were in place for potential military engagement, with meticulous adjustments being made. This encompassed aspects like timing, required resources, logistical details, and the specifics of deploying such forces.
Nasir El-Rufai’s plea to refrain from military intervention in Niger aligns with the recent appeals from various stakeholders in northern Nigeria. The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) similarly urged President Bola Tinubu to thoroughly explore diplomatic avenues in resolving the crisis.
Read: West African Security Chiefs Meet In Ghana Over Niger Crisis