Military coups in Niger, Mali: Tinubu demands transition plan

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has demanded for transition plan in the neighbouring Niger, Mali and other West African countries where military junta suspended democratic structures recently.

To this end, he has urged the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to interact with the affected countries with a view to agree on a realistic and short transition programme for them.

Tinubu stated this while opening the 64th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at the presidential villa in Abuja on Sunday.

He gave the names of countries with military coups as Niger Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, lamenting that democratic government of those countries were toppled by the military against their constitutional order.

He said ECOWAS should be prepared to provide them with technical and material support to achieve the stated objectives.
Tinubu, who is the president of the Authority, emphasised the need to further strengthen regional democratic achievements and uphold the right of our people to elect the leaders of their choice.

He recalled that the region agreed upon specific punitive measures to be taken against any member state opting for an unconstitutional change of government.

However, he added: “While the imposition of punitive sanctions may pose challenges, it is important to underscore that the struggle to protect the fundamental liberties of our community citizens must be upheld and respected.

“To this end, I would like to reiterate the imperative of re-engaging with the countries under military rule based on realistic and short transition plans that can deliver democracy and good governance.

“On our part, we should be prepared to provide them with technical and material support to ensure the achievement of these strategic goals.”

The president noted that the summit was taking place at a time of significant developments not just in the sub-region but globally, when the world was confronted with the challenges of democratic consolidation, economic difficulties, the climate change crisis, and food insecurity, among others.

Tinubu stressed the importance of a fully integrated ECOWAS region, which he observed cannot be realised without peace, security, and stability.

He also underscored the need for leaders to prioritise good governance for the people, as, according to him, it catalyzes socio-economic transformation and development.

The president added: “The delivery of good governance is not just a fundamental commitment; it is also an avenue to address the concerns of our citizens, such as improved quality of life and a stable environment conducive to the achievement of sustainable development.

“By providing good governance that tackles the challenges of poverty, inequality, and other concerns of the people, we would have succeeded in addressing some of the root causes of military intervention in civilian processes in our region.”

According to the president, notwithstanding the notable achievements of ECOWAS, a significant portion of its people continue to face the challenges of poverty and widespread unemployment.

He added, “There is therefore a need for us to harness the potential of our rich natural and human resources, diverse agricultural sector, and burgeoning youthful population for the prosperity of our region. Indeed, the collective market of ECOWAS Member States presents huge opportunities for trade and investment to unlock the region’s full economic potential.”

The Authority chairman congratulated the people of Liberia for the successful conduct of the presidential election and commended President George Weah’s exemplary leadership and conduct throughout the electoral process, noting that by conceding defeat and congratulating his opponent, Weah has left a legacy to be emulated by politicians in our region and beyond.

In light of the recent disturbances in Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau, he emphasised his stance against any form of unconstitutional change of government in the sub-region, calling on the leaders to stand strong and united in solidarity with the people and governments of both countries in the face of these unfortunate incidents.

“The message must go out loud and clear: military rule has become an aberration that subverts the popular will of the people. It no longer has any place in Africa. Our people must be allowed to exercise their freedom of choice without let or hindrance. For democracy to endure in our sub-region, we must improve on good government and respect human rights and the rule of law,” President Tinubu told his guests.

In his remark, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, regretted that the military authorities have “unfortunately shown little remorse as they hold onto their untenable positions.”

“Despite the successful application of the sanctions, we observed with concern some breaches of the sanctions, including the massive movement of physical cash by individuals across the borders,” he stated.