Leadership (Abuja)
Louis Achi
11 January 2009
analysis
While presidential emissary to Guinea, former military President Ibrahim Babangida last week hailed Guinea's new military junta, dressing them up in patriotic robes curiously backed by the minister of state for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bagudu Hirse who was in the delegation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ojo Maduekwe takes an opposite stance, firmly condemning the putsch and proclaiming that the era of distinction between a good and bad coup in Africa is over.
LOUIS ACHI examines the in-house dissonance and its implications for a credible regional/international diplomacy and democratic consolidation on the continent...
Conakry, Guinea provides the unlikely epicenter of the quake currently roiling Nigeria's foreign policy. There is more. Whose vision drives Nigeria's foreign policy? What ideological leaning shapes this vital part the nation's regional continental and international dialogue? What signal is the current in-house dissonance communicating to a region, continent and world that look up to Nigeria to provide leadership in her zone? Is the emerging foreign policy muddling an incipient ideological schism evolving between the military and civilian wings of the nation's political intelligentsia which has put Nigeria's foreign policy footing on the spot?
Most importantly, where is President Umaru Yar'Adua at a moment firm, clear positions need to be proclaimed? These and other posers come to the fore on the heels of a cacophonous song being sung by key administration personalities in the aftermath of a 'successful' power grab by a bunch of Guinean soldiers led by Captain Moussa Camara after the death of President Lansana Conte on December 22, 2008.
In the wake of the take-over, international condemnation was not unexpectedly strident and forceful. The African Union (AU) swiftly suspended Guinea from its rank. But the coup opened ruptures within the AU by pitching some African leaders against each other as President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua moved to mobilise other West African leaders under the aegis of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which he currently heads, to neutralise the positions of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade who had voiced support for the new military regime.
Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister Chief Ojo Maduekwe, who gave an early insight into Nigeria's stance on the developments in Guinea, said any democratically elected government giving support to an illegal government is guilty by complicity. Speaking ahead of yesterday's ECOWAS summit, Maduekwe noted: "It is unfortunate. It is to be condemned. I will not pre-empt what the summit will decide. I mean presidents have a way of talking to each other. But speaking purely as foreign minister of Nigeria, it will be a sad day for the democratic consolidation of Africa if governments that are party to the Constitutive Act and the Charter Declaration that governments in Africa that are not there by result of democratic process should not be recognised.
The consummate politician-turned chief diplomat left no one in doubt as to where the administration he represents stands on the extant matter. His words: "So, if any member of AU, that is of course, a legitimate government, steps outside the ranks of other members to now fraternise with the military junta, I'm sure the collective wisdom of the leadership of AU will find a way of even sanctioning that government because, for us, the issue of undermining the democratic process is not just when a group of adventurers organised a coup and overthrow a democratically elected government.
"If a democratically elected government is giving succour, providing encouragement and giving a signal that that is acceptable, then such a government is guilty by complicity. I believe there must be capacity within the AU to also call that country to order. You know Africa has lost a lot as a result of this zig-zag and as a result of not working the full path," he said.
Maduekwe said Nigeria will never have any relations with the military regime in Guinea and that there will be no room for double standards under the new AU commitment to democracy since Nigeria led the call for sanctions on Mauritania when the military struck in the country.
"We are monitoring the Guinea thing. As you know, we sent a delegation which included my colleague; Ambassador Hirse the Minister of State II and former president Ibrahim Babangida and we had conveyed our message clearly as federal government of Nigeria and as a current chair of ECOWAS that this coup is unacceptable. The junta should regrettably have to admit that somebody will have to conduct elections. So all they are suppose to do if there is no civil authority to conduct the elections, then these people who have moved in through a non-democratic process should just conduct elections and get out of town," he said.
While commenting on the two-year disengagement time-table being floated by the new junta, he said, "No, absolutely not acceptable. We are looking at a time frame that is just enough to conduct elections and get out. If it requires two weeks, let them conduct the elections and get out."
But this semblance of a definitive foreign policy position which the foreign minister said captures President Umaru Yar'Adua's position was exploded when former military president Ibrahim Babangida who was sent to Guinea by the president as an emissary returned and proclaimed a position that violently contrasted with the president's.
Babangida, said the military coup in Guinea is timely and patriotic. Shortly on his arrival he told the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) that the military intervention has saved the country from another theatre of human and material waste, noting the country was already polarised and tensed before the armed forces came up to save the situation. Babangida furher explained that the tenure of the Guinean parliament had expired two years ago but no elections were held to renew its mandate. He said the slated 2008 elections failed to hold before the death of former President Lansana Conte.
His words: "For God's sake they were patriotic to make sure that the country remains intact. From what we could see upon arrival at the country the people are on the side of the coupists, and it would be unfair to say they have come to power to stay. I think we as outsiders should put our acts together to help the new leadership of Guinea to get the country back to its feet as that is about the most important thing they need from all and not criticism."
LEADERSHIP gathered that though a few members of the military junta insisted on the two-year deadline for the return to civil rule earlier set by the junta, there were strong indications that they may accept the nine-month deadline set by the federal government of Nigeria. Babangida said they met all the stakeholders in the course of pressing the need for the junta to accept the Nigerian government nine-month deadline.
Reacting to Maduekwe's position, Babangida quipped, "The minister has no clue of what the situation really is on ground in Guinea. But aside that I'm only acting on the matching order of the president, therefore he is on his own." Then to complete the curious scenario, Maduekwe's subordinate and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Bagudu Hirse, who was on Babangida's entourage weighed in on the side of the former military president. According Hirse, the Guinean military leadership deserves the sympathy of African countries.
He said the new Guinea rulers made it clear to the Nigerian delegation that they were not in power for material gains but to make sure that the country returns to democracy as soon as possible.
But Maduekwe, an intellectual of no mean repute fired back at Babangida. Speaking last Friday while presiding over ECOWAS council of ministers meeting preparatory to the extraordinary summit of the peace and security council of the commission he said the era of distinction between a good and bad coup in Africa is over. According to him, the inspiring conclusion of the Ghana elections, which culminated in the inauguration of John Atta Mills as the new president against the background of the recent democratic setback in Guinea, proves Africa's commitment to democratic transition and zero tolerance for any change outside the constitutional order.
"In the sprit of being our brother's keeper, ECOWAS shall support and reward every sincere move in Guinea to ensure the emergence the democratically elected government this year". Madueekwe, while condemning the coup, alluded to Babangida's mission to Guinea. "President Umaru Yar'Adua, in his capacity as the current chairman of ECOWAS sent a high level mission to Guinea to dialogue with authority to ensure that normalcy, peace and democracy return to the country," he said, diplomatically avoiding a direct challenge to Babangida's much publicized statements.
President of ECOWAS, Dr Ibn Chambas, who gave a statement at the meeting, extolled president Yar'Adua leadership quality, support and encouragement being extended to the commission since assuming the chairmanship of the Authority of Heads of state and Government.
Chambas, also seized the opportunity to congratulate the government and people of Ghana for organising a successful and credible elections which ushered in a new government. The conduct of the election, he said would further enhance Ghana's reputation further proving as pace setters in the democratisation process and prove to the world that Africa can manage its own affairs.
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