The group described the insistence of Nigeria-led ECOWAS on adopting military action in resolving the political crisis in the Niger Republic as mindless.
The organised civil society under the United Action Front of Civil Society has called on President Bola Tinubu and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to respect the wish of the citizens of Niger and avoid a needless war in the country and West Africa in general.
The group described the insistence of Nigeria-led ECOWAS on adopting military action in resolving the political crisis in the Niger Republic as mindless.
In a statement issued on Monday, the United Action Front of Civil Society said the decision of the ECOWAS Extraordinary Meeting in Abuja on Thursday, August 10, 2023, to put the military on standby was unwholesome and portends potential threats to peace across West African region.
Signed by the Head of the National Coordinating Centre, Olawale Okunniyi, the Front warned that while the restoration of constitutional order in the Niger Republic in the shortest possible time is welcomed, democracy can only endure in Niger when all parties to the prevailing crisis agree to reasonable terms in bringing about long-term peace in the country.
It said, "The United Action Front of Civil Society, therefore considers it hugely disappointing for ECOWAS to create the impression that genuine diplomacy can go along with threats of military action by way of activation of invading force against the junta in Niger Republic.
"The decision of the ECOWAS Extraordinary meeting is thus coming across as pandering to the dubious agenda of interested forces outside ECOWAS. It would thus appear that the leadership of ECOWAS is largely unpersuaded by overwhelming consensus amongst well-meaning stakeholders in Nigeria and across the sub-region who have cautioned against turning the situation in the Niger Republic into a full-scale proxy war."
The group, however, appealed to the authorities of ECOWAS that in handling the issues, it should prioritise the interest of the civilian population of Niger, who by all indications and for whatever reasons, appear to support the military junta.
It called on the regional bloc to avoid a repeat of the Libya debacle.
The statement read: "The leadership of United Action Front of Civil Society remains convinced that the likelihood of war and instability in the Niger Republic would be counterproductive with the possibility of spiralling into long-term armed conflicts that will hurt countries of the sub-region with unintended political and socioeconomic consequences.
"While ECOWAS is under obligation to oppose the military usurpation of constitutionally elected authority in Niger and elsewhere in the West African sub-region, we cannot overemphasise that mobilisation of military response should be the last resort and should be contingent upon domestic circumstances which appear to have thrown up some complexities that should be unravelled in neighbouring Niger Republic.
"ECOWAS can only ill-afford to be sensitive to the division within its rank and moreso that Burkina Faso and Mali that shared borders with the Niger Republic are currently under military rule with the proclamation of opposition to the continuing overbearing control of France.
"Beyond Niger, it is thus imperative that ECOWAS undertakes rigorous and holistic assessments of the situation in the Sahel belt with the view to deploying diplomatic initiatives that would promote internal cohesion in countries where democracies have become vulnerable and threatened by the possibility of military coups."
"The United Action Front of Civil Society, therefore wishes to reiterate opposition to military option as an immediate response to the crisis in Niger Republic as efforts should be geared towards de-escalation rather than escalation of tension.
"We are even more concerned about the dire implications of compounding the instability of countries already troubled by the grave challenge of terrorism, which remains a potent threat to human security and sustainable livelihoods across the West African sub-region.
"We are also worried that the likelihood of military invasion of Niger Republic could snowball into springing internal displacements and refugee situations in neighbouring West African countries like Nigeria.
"In the event of war between ECOWAS forces and Nigerien military, the security challenge in West Africa would be heightened across borders, while poverty amongst the citizens in countries that share borders with Niger would be aggravated beyond proportion," it said.