A pan-African movement, Amilcar Cabral Movement (ACIS-M), has opposed the position of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the political crisis in the Niger Republic in its desperate effort to restore democracy in the troubled country.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the ECOWAS Chairman and Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, described the ongoing political crisis in Niger Republic as a threat to the stability of other Western African countries.
Tinubu stated this in his speech at the extraordinary meeting of ECOWAS leaders held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital over the recent military coup in Niger Republic.
The bloc had given the Niger military junta until Sunday to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum or face potential use of force.
But the coup leaders remained defiant, and the ultimatum passed without any action.
Reacting to the position of the ECOWAS Heads of State, the ACIS- Movement stated that the crisis in the Niger Republic should be properly understood as a part of the unresolved questions of the independence struggle and the decolonization process in Africa.
The group urged the ECOWAS Heads of State to allow Niger to solve its issues internally, warning the West African regional body not to wage war against Niger.
It said such a military intervention would serve the "imperialist interests of the United States of America and France”.
Comrade Abiodun Aremu stated this in a statement issued on behalf of ACIS-M Central Coordinating Council on Thursday titled: "Let Niger Republic Be: The coup in Niger is an issue for resolution at the global Pan-African level, not for the US-France puppets in ECOWAS to grandstand."
The statement read in part: "As a Pan-Africanist, Socialist, and revolutionary movement, with a commitment to the total liberation of the Pan-African World and the defence of the values of Humanity, ACIS-M is resolved to, and we will vigorously campaign against any ECOWAS mobilisation for war or invitation of the US-France mercenary forces to attack the Niger Republic.
"ACIS-M shares the position and stand of the Governments in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali, which have re-affirmed the Pan-African vision of the independence struggles in Africa – a pointer to the fact that Sekou Toure, Modibo Keita, and Thomas Sankara spirits live in the hearts of the African people in those nation-states.
"Who are the ECOWAS Heads of State who want to restore the so-called democracy in Niger Republic? What are their credentials other than being puppets to the Governments of the US-France, that are holding their various territories in ECOWAS in bondage for imperialist exploitation and domination?
"What do they have to show for their misrule, other than – frauds, treasury looting, violence against dissenting voices, imposition of IMF-World Bank policies, hardships and sufferings of the majority of the people, etc, in Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, etc?
"Taking Nigeria as a case study, where is the democracy to showcase, other than the underdevelopment of Nigeria with neoliberal policies being imposed on its people?
"The irony in the Niger Republic issue was that the immediate past President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari was being shielded with the loots of Nigeria, when the then Nigerien Republic President - Mohammed was militarily deposed!
“How can Niger - a country rich in natural endowments of uranium, gold, and hydrocarbons be continuously plundered for decades since independence?"
It added, "Niger was a victim of the destabilisation by US-NATO-France in the destruction of Libya and the criminal murder of Muammar Gadaffi. Also, did the US VP President – Kamala Harris, under the guise of speaking with Nigeria’s Tinubu not instruct him to defend their (imperialist) fraud in the Niger Republic?
"In Africa, a child that refuses to learn from home training is taught bitter lessons from the outside! So is the case of Nigeria’s Tinubu Presidency, which possessed by desperation and obsession for legitimacy and imperialist endorsement, threw caution to the wind to undertake the task of using Nigeria’s military to deepen the crisis in the Niger Republic.
"ACIS-M calls on all popular organisations of the people across the Pan-African World to join the campaign to condemn the decision by ECOWAS to move troops into Niger Republic to confront the new military authority, who acted out of patriotism to depose the Bazoum ruler that had operated as a neo-colonial puppet at the service France."