Niger Coup: Miyetti Allah warms against use of force, demands dialogue

Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore, a sociocultural organization, urged President Bola Tinubu on Monday to consider dialogue as the “best option in addressing the current crisis in Niger Republic.”

Any declaration of military action, the group declared in a communiqué released at the conclusion of its Annual General Meeting in Abuja, will have “devastating implications throughout the Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa with detrimental impact on Fulani pastoralists in particular.”

Speaking in the communiqué that was co-signed by its National President, Abdullahi Bodejo, and National Secretary, Saleh Alhassan, the group asked for the establishment of the “Ministry of Nomadic Affairs” by state governors while also denouncing the extrajudicial killings of pastoralists.

“Delegates thanked Niger State Governor Muhammed Bago for establishing the Ministry of Nomadic Affairs and encouraged other governments to follow Niger State’s example.

“Delegates vehemently denounce the ongoing profiling of the Fulani race by some media organizations, notably the social media, and call on the press to verify the accuracy of their stories before publishing or risk legal repercussions.

Delegates condemn the country’s security agencies’ ongoing extrajudicial execution of Fulani pastoralists and urge the National Human Rights Commission to look into these crimes and see that justice is done, according to Badejo.

The group added that it supported the creation of the “Miyetti Allah Vigilante” security organization, which will “assist security agencies in curbing criminalities such as cattle rustling, kidnapping, and rural banditry,” and that it also supported the introduction of a dress code for all of its members as a way to preserve the Fulani culture.