Diplomatic Palliatives In The Turbulent West African Sub-Region
WEST AFRICAN SUB REGION.
By Taiye Olaniyi
Taking cognizance of the geopolitical and economic configurations of the West African subregion under the auspices of the Economic Community of the West African States, ECOWAS, there are many things to think about, speak about, and act about to attain peace and tranquility in this part of God's created creation.
The ECOWAS which to date is a composite of 15 member nations that shared principally the primordial tradition of their black Africaness, had similarly had copious history of colonialism arising from the Trans- Sharan and Trans-Atlantic slave trades culminating in the European colonization of governance apparatuses.
Since the advent of spurious empire-building topographies and administrative systemic structuring by both the French and British political and economic warlords, the policy of "Assimilation" to date encumbers the French colonies, the Francophone, while those of the British block, Anglophone to date have catalogs of woes than peace of mind.
To one's dismay though the 15 African countries that make up the ECOWAS have fought for their political independence and now as sovereign nations such a perceived victory of theirs remains dependent on the economic apron strings of their previous colonial masters.
For each and all the countries that make up the ECOWAS States the noble ideals that brought about such a politico-economic bloc to date remain more of paperwork than visually practicable worth.
Far back from her formation in 1975, the political fraternity, economic buoyancy, and free flow of goods and movements of the people were pictured as the noble essence that could help attain the ECOWAS of People against that of the configured States' topographical features most times.
Political administrations in the sub-region have been more of traits of crude rulership associated with religious bigotry and hypocrisy than humanistic requirements associated with true leadership in rulership.
Be it democratic or military regimes or the combination of such amongst the ECOWAS rulers, it has always been a catalog of the skirmishes of one war after another and woes galore in political, economic administrations, and maladministrations everywhere in the subregion.
The recent encounters in the subregion according to Wikipedia on the ECOWAS call for positive thinking, thinking of great thoughts, right words, and diplomacy at all levels.
Wikipedia relates as follows:
Mali was suspended from ECOWAS on 30 May 2021, following its second military coup within nine months. Guinea was also suspended on 8 September 2021, shortly after a military coup took place in the country. Sanctions were placed on both countries on 16 September. On 10 January 2022, Mali announced its decision to close its borders and recalled several ambassadors with ECOWAS in response to sanctions imposed for deferring elections for four years. On 28 January, 2022, Burkina Faso was suspended from ECOWAS following a military coup. Niger was suspended from ECOWAS after the 2023 coup d'état and threatened with military intervention if President Mohamed Bazoum is not restored to office, causing the Nigerien crisis. On 10 August 2023, after an emergency summit, ECOWAS announced the creation of a military task force for possible military intervention in Niger should diplomatic talks fail.
In all the aforesaid, the prompt intervention by the Islamic clerics to dialogue with the Nigerien coupists no doubt is a good step in the right direction. I wish that they could be further approached to help dialogue with the Islamic jihadists, the bandits, and the terrorists that daily engage in calamitous destructions of people in the Sahel region as well as expanding the frontiers of horrors and agonies everywhere in the subregion. I pray they help to impart the true tenets of Islam as a religion of peace as spelled out in the glorious Qur'an.
I also wish that our governments in ECOWAS subregion would help to embark on aggressive dialogues and diplomatic moves and tailor-drive educational programs that would admix scientific, technological, and modern methods of blending animal husbandry, herding, and pastoralism with farming and other agricultural-oriented environmental management in all their ramifications.
The geopolitics of the world is greatly changing in dimensions for better or worse.
America, France, and other Western world have conflicts of interest to those of the Asian Tigers and now Russia and China are all advancing their interests to the disadvantage of the African continent as a whole. The fraternity amongst the African rulers seems anchored on enriching themselves at the expense of the millions of poor ones.
The question then is who will help to salvage the black Africans from the politico-economic and socio-religious despondencies inside where we wriggle but not advancing? Think about it.
When and where do we start to engage in true spiritual dialogue with the God of our hearts and God of our understanding so that together as blacks we unite with others in the appreciation of the "Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of Man" everywhere we are.
A subtle and innermost submission to our "Conscience" referred to by mystics as "The Eye of God in the heart of man" may assist us all in answering the questions posed to us by Mighty Diamonds in the excerpt that I am posting here for our individual and collective reflections.
"Why me black brother why, dis robbing and killing?
Why me black brother why, dis looting and shooting?
Why me black brother why, you ruling your mumma?
Why me black brother why, you mash up your puppy?
What you gonna do when de voice say come?
Remember the day of judgment.....?”
May the Almighty God, the Creator of every living being, everywhere, lead us all to the mightiness of His Light, Life, and Love.
Taiye Olaniyi, a retired Postman of the Nigeria Postal Service, is based in Lagos