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Arewa forum lauds CDS Musa’s visit to Niger Republic

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has lauded the recent visit of Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa and his team to our neighbouring Niger Republic as a welcome development.

This was even as it said the visit will no doubt strengthen the security relationship between the two countries, which are currently facing threats by terrorists across their borders.

This was contained in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Professor Muhammad Tukur Baba, and made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Kaduna.

The statement noted that “against the background of the soured relationship between Nigeria and the Republic of Niger over the past year or so, the visit was a very welcome development as a sure sign that it represents a needed thawing and a refreshing new vista in the history-long very warm and close diplomatic and social relationship between the two contagious West African neighbours.

It will be recalled that in the wake of a military putsch in Niger in July 2023, the Authority of Heads of States of the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had suspended the member state (Niger) and ordered a comprehensive blockage against it.

The statement declared as well threatened a military action to restore the overthrown civilian government of Mohammed Bazoum and “restore democracy” in the Niger Republic.

“It also slammed a slew of sanctions, including closing its 1,500-kilometre-long border with Niger, imposing economic restrictions, cutting off essential supplies, including electricity and power to Niger, and announcing a threat of military invasion, the statement stressed.

As it happened, the threats were to dissipate and fizzle out, with ECOWAS and Nigeria offering to dialogue with the Nigerien military regime.

Before the detente of sorts, in response, the Republic of Niger had forged ties with other countries in West Africa, namely, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea. Niger also withdrew its forces from the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MJTF) fighting terrorism in northeast Nigeria.

Therefore, ACF said the General Christopher Musa-led military delegation to Niger is a most welcome development, saying,The General’s words to the press in the wake of the visit were an icing on the cake and were delivered well-crafted, bold, brave, soothing, and patriotic, signalling strength and not weakness in fraternal African interests and solidarity, unmistakably as appropriate and unambiguous as can be.

“ACF cannot be prouder of General Musa as a worthy ambassador of Arewa and Nigeria! Taken together with the earlier reopening of the Nigeria-Niger border and the lifting of sanctions, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who must have authorised the General Musa delegation’s trip, deserves accolades and gratitude from a nation in need of good news.

“Such moves in Nigeria’s international relations are certainly reminiscent of late General Murtala’s 1975 “Africa Has Come of Age” speech to the Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU), in support of the liberation of Angola from the yoke of European colonialism. To the government and peoples of the Republic of Niger, ACF urges bygones to be bygones.

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