Barely a month after Bola Ahmed Tinubu's inauguration as Nigeria's President, he was elected Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority held in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, taking over from H. E. Umaro Sissoco Embaló, President of The Republic of Guinea-Bissau. It was a pivotal time in the sub region's history as that same month, Niger's erstwhile pro-Western leader, Mohammed Bazoum, was ousted in a military coup, with the new military ruler severing long-standing post-colonial ties with France.
From Day One, Tinubu had been under fire for his perceived lack of support for the military leaders in Niger as well as those of Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon, Guinea and Mali. Moreso, Tinubu has continued to nurture strong diplomatic ties with the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
The Nigerian president's recent visit to France was tagged 'historical', being the first official state visit to Paris by a Nigerian leader in more than two decades. So, it was only a matter of time before hostilities came to a head between Nigeria and neighbouring Niger, with the latter's military leader, Brig-Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, accusing Nigeria of colluding with France to destabilise his country.
Tchiani's perceived lack of goodwill is completely understandable. France has a long history of involvement in the Sahel region, including military intervention, economic cooperation and development aid. Critics say the countries associated with France have been grappling with poverty and insecurity.
Tinubu's Nigeria, on the other hand, looks to the European nation for Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, to revive her ailing economy. Nigeria is France's top trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa and two of Nigeria's biggest banks, Zenith and United Bank for Africa, have signed agreements to expand their operations into France.
While Nigerian authorities have vehemently denied Niger's very weighty allegations, it is obvious that a denial alone will not de-escalate the situation. Despite hostilities, only a high level diplomatic response can create pathways towards viable solutions.
This is why we welcome the recent overtures by the Federal Government to engage the leadership of Niger Republic in a constructive dialogue in order to de-escalate the brewing diplomatic tension between the two countries. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, had in a statement given hint of Nigeria's readiness to enter into candid discussions with Niger to address mutual concerns raised by General Tchiani.
According to Tuggar: "We reaffirm our respect for Niger's sovereignty and territorial integrity, in alignment with ECOWAS principles. We welcome and encourage open, constructive, dialogue between our governments and invite Niger's leadership to join us in candid discussions to address mutual concerns."
This is certainly a good move worthy of commendation.
However, it is evident that the row has gone out of the control of ECOWAS; therefore, there is an urgent need for the African Union to weigh in, and soon too.
It is critical, for our common, long-term security and economic stability, that there is strong regional cohesion amongst the ECOWAS states.