Nigeria has condemned the exit announcement of Niger Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
In a joint statement on Sunday, the three junta-led West
African countries faulted ECOWAS for the sanctions imposed on them as part of
efforts to reverse the coups in their countries.
They also cited ECOWAS’ drift from the spirit of
pan-Africanism and the regional’s bloc failure to stem the insecurity and
terrorism in their nations as reasons for their withdrawal.
ECOWAS said it was shocked about the development, saying it received no prior notification of the countries’ position.
Backing the regional bloc, Nigeria said ECOWAS has worked to
promote peace, prosperity, and democracy in the region for half a century.
Francisca Omayuli, spokesperson for the ministry of foreign
affairs, in a statement on Monday, said Nigeria stands with ECOWAS to emphasise
due process and shared commitment to protect and strengthen the rights and
welfare of all member states’ citizens.
“Nigeria has worked sincerely and in good faith to reach out
to all members of the ECOWAS family to resolve the difficulties being faced,”
the statement reads.
“It is now clear that those seeking to quit the Community do
not share that same good faith. Instead, unelected leaders engage in a public
posturing to deny their people the sovereign right to make fundamental choices
over their freedom of movement, freedom to trade and freedom to choose their
own leaders.
“Nigeria remains open for engagement with Burkina Faso, Mali
and Niger so that all the people of the region can continue to enjoy the
economic benefits and democratic values that ECOWAS embraces.”
Nigeria also appealed to the international community to
continue to extend support to ECOWAS and the vision of closer partnership,
cooperation and integration.
ECOWAS had also expressed enthusiasm for finding a
negotiated solution to the political impasse, saying it would make further
pronouncements as the situation evolves.
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Mali, Bukina Faso and Niger did well to have pulled out of ECOWAS, and this, after long sanctions which was directed by U.S. and France and carried out by ECOWAS Heads Of States And Government. ECOWAS, violated his own continental constitution for imposing such restrictions on a member state. And this demonstrates how western countries controls all African institutions because, all they want is to main his hegemony on African mineral resources and it’s exploitation especially in African rich regions of reserves. The fear of the west is that, they can’t have have access to mineral resources when military are in power.
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