African workers urges ECOWAS to use diplomacy to solve Niger crisis.
The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to exercise restraint in its intended military intervention in Niger by engaging in a robust and swift diplomatic and political move to resolve the crisis.
The call follows their rejection of ECOWAS’ military option in solving the political impasse in Niger, indicating that the recourse to naked force in resolving the current political impasse in Niger was most undesirable and unacceptable.
This was contained in a statement signed and issued by Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, General Secretary, ITUC-Africa.
“We are worried by the ECOWAS ultimatum and threat to intervene militarily to restore the deposed president to power. We wish to state categorically and unambiguously that African workers reject a military option in solving this political impasse in Niger. We call on ECOWAS, rather than mobilizing for military deployment, to engineer and engage in a robust and swift diplomatic and political move to resolve the crisis.”
“In the light of the foregoing, ITUC-Africa considers an ECOWAS’ recourse to naked force in resolving the current political impasse in Niger as most undesirable and unacceptable. ITUC-Africa strongly rejects this option. We are concerned that a military option will most likely destabilise and worsen the already precarious situation in Niger with real contagion effects for the entire West Africa sub-region and the African continent as a whole,” Mr Adu-Amankwah stated.
“Already, we are witnessing the interplay of external geopolitical interests and the issuance of counter-threats from some members of ECOWAS against the military invasion of Niger. These threats and counter-threats are heating up the sub-region’s political spaces and pose real threats to peace, stability and cohesion,” Mr Adu-Amankwah stated.
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He said they were convinced that peaceful options exist and must be genuinely pursued for which reason they were against any military intervention but backed inclusive and genuine dialogue.
“We wish to reiterate the call in our earlier statement on the Niger political impasse that ECOWAS and the African Union should take measured steps to convene a solemn assembly to discuss the security and related issues threatening the socio-economic and political stability of the Sahel region and the African continent,” he added.
Click here to read the full statement
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