This is an existential matter- Oro buruku plus laugh…ECOWAS leaders should be having sleepless nights.
Chad
Guinea
Mali
Burkina Faso
Who is next?
Trust the French. They would work very hard to get this regime in Mali toppled.
There are two crisis at play here.
But the French are also very culpable, the first crisis began when three of the countries above (Guinea, Mali and Burkina) got into deeper trouble with Islamists insurgency when France reduced it’s military presence.
France literally owns those countries, it milks them dry. The US and other Europeans would not commit funds and troops to die where they see no benefit. So since France reduced it’s military presence UN etc has not replaced it, allowing the Islamists to gain ground.
The second crisis is the mistaken belief by the soldiers in these countries that they can better fight the Islamists if they themselves control the national Government.
It’s not good for the sub region, may be the world would take note when the Islamists overrun one of these countries, take power there, and we get Afghanistan scenario. Anyone who believes the Islamist would not head for the coast, if they succeed in overrunning the Sahel, needs history lessons.
Nigeria is fighting for its own survival, without Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast can’t do much under ECOWAS. SADC is already supporting Mozambique to fight Islamists. The Ugandans and Kenyans are fighting Islamists in Somalia. The Ethiopians are fighting themselves, with the Eritreans in the mix. So all the capable armies in Africa are already over stretched……
We are all in for a very bumpy ride…it would get worse before it might get better.
West Africa matters less on the global strategic chess board. Irrespective of who is in charge in any African country, the minerals would get out to the West and China.
West Africa did not cultivate Russia, Cuba, Vietnam etc. These are the other guys who have stomach for “fights”.
So we West Africans must help ourselves, and Nigeria is key in that effort, but Nigeria must first put it’s house in order….and very quickly for that matter.
The risk this poses for Nigeria is real, very real and it could go either way.
It could, on the positive side lead to greater unity and focus, but that would not happen by happenstance. It would need delibrate policies built on equity. Like promptly sorting out the Constitutional review, State Police etc etc. If States can manage their own security with State Police, then the Nigerian Army can be deployed to nip foreign threats in the bud, before it gets to us, like we did with ECOMOG.
On the flip side, it could aid Nigeria disintegrating, if the insecurity gets worse and components of Nigeria are left with no alternative but to find security succour and solutions outside of the control of Nigerian federal forces. It would become difficult to bring such components back into the fold.
Sadly I do not get the feeling that our political class appreciates what’s at stake, despite all the suffering that insecurity has caused Nigerians to date. They are going on with business as usual.
LATEST POSTS
- The Burden of State: Why Tax Reform Cannot Wait
- Pastor cousin of Star Wars actor will be deported after his ‘cult-like’ church was shut down over an alleged £1.87million fraud
- Senate Confirms Oluyede As Chief Of Army Staff
- South Africa Relaxes Visa Rules For Nigerian Investors, Tourists
- Nigeria’s tax reform bill: A test of governance and equity
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER NOW
TEXT AD: To advertise here – Email ad@matazarising.com
2 Comments
Akinwale Ogunkua
Buhari came to propagate the jihad. He made that commitment several years ago. That is why he’s carrying out the fulanisation agenda and he won’t be discouraged. Nigeria must RESTRUCTURE and those agitating for SELF-DETERMINATION through legally acceptable means must not be disallowed.
Ayo
I absolutely agree, they are not letting up, I can tell you that