Niger: According to experts, if ECOWAS fails, it may no longer exist

If the Economic Community of West African States is unable to restore democratic governance in the Republic of Niger, stakeholders and academics have warned that the organisation may no longer exist.

As they did so, they built up support for ECOWAS’ decision to consider using force to topple the military junta that has taken control of Niger.

At a symposium held by the Lagos State University Department of History and International Relations on Friday, the speakers took turns presenting their arguments.

Dr. Adewunmi Falode, the symposium’s organiser and department head, stated that the goal of the gathering was to update the public on advances in Niger.

“The symposium’s main goal is to inform the public about the situation’s real facts. We are academics who lack emotion. We base our work on facts, not feelings. Our research is unbiased. It will provide direction for what is occurring in that region of the world, he said.

Speaking on the subject of “Coup D’etat in Niger Republic: National, Regional and Global Ramifications,” the researchers said it was time for the ECOWAS to put an end to what might turn into a regional trend of military rule.

Dr. Olawale Lawal, a lecturer in the division, asserted that the military option is preferable and that the ECOWAS standby force is capable of handling the situation.

The first well-known illustration of how ECOWAS intended to utilise its newly established unified force, he said, is the situation in Niger.

We all have international organisations, and when creating them, diplomatic means and military choices are both available, as Lawal pointed out. They are all involved in diplomatic exchanges. When they are having troubles, they talk. For this reason, there are declarations, protocols, and conventions. However, once you violate some of these conventions, your intentions will be communicated, and if necessary, the military option will be used as a result of your violation of some of the norms.

“In December 2022, West Africa announced the creation of a permanent military command to combat coup attempts and fundamental jihadism. The Niger coup is the first traditional example of the exhibition of the might of what ECOWAS wants to use the Army for because all other coups occurred before December while the Niger coup is taking place after that date. The Nigerian military and the nations that assist it collectively are unable to defeat the ECOWAS.

Dr. Habeeb Sanni, a different lecturer, asserted that ECOWAS must use the military option or it will disband.

He added that the Niger coup is incompatible with democratic ideals and that the military has no place in politics.

Nobody knows which country would be the next to act if ECOWAS did not take action, according to Dr. Henry Ogunjewo of the Department of History and Strategic Studies at the University of Lagos.