‘Nigeria has delivered in ECOWAS’

There have been crises in the West African sub-region, for example in Cote d’Ivoire, Mali and some other countries and how has Nigeria been able to help solve these problems?I think between 2011 and 2014, across the sub-region, we had crisis in Cote d’Ivoire, then the rebellion, eventual coup d’état and the war in northern […]

There have been crises in the West African sub-region, for example in Cote d’Ivoire, Mali and some other countries and how has Nigeria been able to help solve these problems?
I think between 2011 and 2014, across the sub-region, we had crisis in Cote d’Ivoire, then the rebellion, eventual coup d’état and the war in northern Mali and the political crisis in Guinea Bissau. So, these are the three major challenges that faced ECOWAS between 2011 and 2014 and principally the Community was established to pursue a kind of integration. But you cannot have economic integration in an atmosphere of pervasive insecurity and political instability. So a good chuck of time, ECOWAS’ time, is devoted to bringing political stability, peace and security across the sub-region. Nigeria is a committed member of ECOWAS and share in the aspirations and pains of ECOWAS community. Out of the estimated 300 million people in the sub-region, about 170 million is in Nigeria, we are talking about 70 per cent. So, there is a natural role imposed on Nigeria by both default, by nature, to say this is a role we must carry and Nigeria has delivered herself creditably in this aspect. Ever since independence, Nigeria’s foreign policy goals were clear. We are Africa-centred foreign policy; we are for total decolonisation of Africa, fighting apartheid and then peace and security in Africa and then economic integration in the sub-region and in Africa. All these principles came to play in Nigeria’s engagement with ECOWAS and the sub-region and the larger international community at addressing these three situations that we face.
When Cote d’Ivoire was facing these challenges after the elections and President Laurent Gbagbo was defeated and rather decided to stay put, Nigeria was the chair of ECOWAS. President Goodluck Jonathan was the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and that naturally came with a lot of responsibilities; coordinating and inviting meetings, chairing the meetings and interfacing between the larger world and ECOWAS block and I think partly that is what explain the success because of the decision taken by the Nigerian government that the sovereignty of Cote d’Ivoire  remains sacrosanct and Nigeria mobilised the sub-region and the international community together with France to make sure that the political fisticuffs we are having that time do not degenerate into full-blown war.  And that is how former President Gbagbo was eventually arrested and handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and ofcourse, Nigeria, even before the coup, when the rebellion started in northern Mali by January 2012, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was on top of it. Infact, I visited the then President Amadou Toumani Toure to take a message of solidarity from President Goodluck Jonathan as well as ask him, in any way, he thinks Nigeria could support him. Unfortunately less than 24 hours after I left, there was a coup and the coup exasperated and worsen the problem up north; the rebellion took hold, even the rebels themselves had tough time dealing with other criminals and ideological elements.  The movement for Jihad and Unity in West Africa, the al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb and other sundry criminals were involved in running small arms and light weapons, drug trafficking, human trafficking and the whole scenario got complicated and the interim arrangement that was put in Bamako and then finally the war. First of all, the ECOWAS Force which was transformed to African Standby Force and United Nations Force and then the coming of the French to fight the war. So, in all these aspects Nigeria was actively involved, together with a lot of not only diplomatic, but military support, humanitarian assistance, financial grant to make sure a sister West African country did not degenerate to a full-blown war. Unfortunately, the crisis in northern Mali is like trying to rear its ugly head again and perhaps you could see there was an extra-ordinary Summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on the 30th of May, 2014 where the issue of northern Mali is on the agenda and later the President of Mali was in Nigeria on the 31st of May and he conferred with his colleague and brother, President Goodluck Jonathan on how to further come together and to assist that country to make sure it does not degenerate into its ugly past.
President Jonathan was the only person president who visited Mali during that crisis. No president from anywhere visited Mali. But, apart from sending us there often, President Jonathan visited Mali physically for a whole day where he interacted with all stakeholders in the country so that he could have a better hold and grasp and understanding of what is the opinion of Malians about the crisis and how do they think they could solve it.
As a big brother in Africa, how can Nigeria proactively cut-tail or check such incidences of coups and counter-coups and manipulation of elections and upheavals as was witnessed in Cote d’Ivoire, Mali and Guinea Bissau?
These ideals are embedded in the protocols of ECOWAS and the African Union. Protocols on good governance, on human rights, on peace and security and there are specific instruments designed by these regional and international organisations to pursue these protocols and Nigeria is at the front of it. For example, in ECOWAS, we have what we call the ‘Early warning’ system. It is a mechanism that tries to identify flash points even before they become flash points and move immediately to stem any crisis in the bud before it gets ugly. Then, ofcourse, we are talking of ECOWAS Standby Force which will be a multinational force and will be readily deployable, which will be trained to respond to immediate security threats within the sub-region.
As you know, most of the population resides in Nigeria and most of ECOWAS’ initiatives are indeed, even if they are not Nigeria’s initiative, are going to depend to a large extent on Nigeria’s lead to achieve them in conjunction with our other sisterly and brotherly countries in the sub-region. Similarly, such abound in Africa. We have the Panel of the Wise, who are prominent Africans, former heads of state, prominent diplomats who identify crisis areas, crisis points, potentials crisis points and intervene. And, ofcourse, the AU has gone far in implementing the African Standby Force now, where it can also be a readily deployable, rapid intervention force that can potentially intervene in any flash point that threatens peace and security in either a member state or in the continent. So, we are all involved in this objective and ideals we subscribe for and we are pursuing which we commit all our energies.
Did Nigeria give any advice in terms of early warnings to the African Union regarding the situations in South Sudan and Central African Republic (CAR) to help stem the crises there?
As early as December when the crisis in South Sudan started, Mr. President sent me as a special envoy to Juba and I met with President Silva Kiir and it is the same message. ‘How do we help?’ Then it was a potential crisis area. But, you know in the international system, threats to peace and security in a member country is first and foremost, a responsibility of sub-regional organisations. So, you complement, you don’t take the lead. For example, eastern African community would take the lead, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have been meeting under that umbrella. So, it’s just like us in ECOWAS. For example in Guinea Bissau, if anybody comes and is violating that sacrosanct principal, but that does not mean that the African Union as a body or the United Nations cannot intervene in such crisis. As you are aware now, United Nations is involved even in Mali and Guinea Bissau but primarily you don’t take the lead where it is not your sub-region. For example, what is happening in Central African Republic, the central African states is the one leading. But, ofcourse, we are supporting heavily. I remember during the last AU Summit, there was a fund-raising to gather support for South Sudan and Central African Republic where Nigeria is the highest donor. So, we don’t take the lead where it is not our sub-region but we have always worked with the relevant continental and international organisations to make sure there is global peace and security.