Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has disregarded some assertions that France and the West are pushing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to resolve the political instability in Niger Republic.
Akinyemi, who appeared on Channels TV flagship programme on Monday said although he does not support French activities in Africa, but ECOWAS was only trying to stop the spread of coups in the sub-region.
ECOWAS had imposed many sanctions on Niger and threatened military action if the coup leaders failed to return power to democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, as it is currently working to restore democracy in Niger after the military toppled and detained the President on July 26.
According to him, “The French have troops in Niger and those troops have to go because if they have been there and the terrorism activities in the Sahel whether in Mali, Niger or Burkina Faso have been there and yet the French troops have been there for 60 years, you wonder what have they been doing”
“They have been looking after France’s interests and not the interests of the Africans.
“So, the French troops deserve to go. I am not defending France at all. But as a scholar, I don’t see ECOWAS policies being in tandem with French policies.
“The French have an interest which is to protect their economic interest; ECOWAS’ interest was to regard the coup in Niger as a threat to their stability and safety in their own countries.
“They (ECOWAS) don’t want the spread of coups into their territories. That is why they felt they had to draw the line in Niger.
“So, that does not mean that ECOWAS is being tele-guided by France or that Nigeria is being tele-guided by France.”
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