The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has urged civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media to join in continuous efforts to encourage the Nigerien Junta to comply with diplomacy in finding lasting solution to the current impasse in that country.
Speaking on Accra based Joyfm current affairs programme News file last Saturday, Mr Nkrumah said the call was important, since it helped not to undermine efforts by Economic Communities of West Africa States (ECOWAS) on restoring Niger back to Democratic rule.
“I want to appeal to CSOs, academia and the media that they assist continuous efforts that will urge junta to comply with diplomacy instead of making comments that rather question ECOWAS methods.
ECOWAS has clearly stated that force is a last resort but wishes diplomacy to succeed. Instead of repeated calls on ECOWAS to abandon military intervention alternatives, Mr Nkrumah is urging commentators to rather pile pressure on the Military Junta to let diplomacy succeed so force will not be necessary,” Mr Nkrumah said.
According to him, barely 24 hours of concluding plans for a possible military intervention if diplomacy fails, the Niger Coup leaders have now agreed to open up for negotiations. This comes after earlier attempts failed which prompted meetings by ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence staff on alternative military in Accra last week.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah believed conversations and commentary on the matter, especially by academia, CSOs and the media should continue to focus on compelling the Junta to take the diplomacy option seriously.
“Though these interventions have been advertised as solutions to the growing terrorist incidents in Burkina, Mali and Niger, the data suggests that terrorism was getting worse rather after these interventions.
Mr Nkrumah said it was important that “we shift from the propaganda and work towards the speedy resolution of democratic civilian governments to provide better structures to stem the tide.”
BY TIMES REPORTER
