Niger crisis: ‘Gunboat diplomacy’ not an option – Political scientists

Political scientists have rejected military intervention in resolving the Niger Republic crisis, saying resorting to “gunboat diplomacy” would not be an option.

Teachers of political science and international relations under the aegis of Nigeria Political Science Association (NPSA), in a statement called for caution, saying the circumstances of the coup in Niamey were different from others.

The statement signed by the President of the association, Prof. Hassan Saliu, also noted that there is “the possibility of an armed intervention in Niger to ignite a war which magnitude cannot be predicted at the moment.”

This, according to the group, was because “the country in the eyes of the storm is rich in notable mineral resources that have attracted the attention of the world powers.”

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As the deadline given by ECOWAS elapsed on Sunday, NPSA declared that as “Unfortunate as the situation in Niger is, resorting to gunboat diplomacy on the matter would not be an ideal pattern of reacting to it, as it can escalate the tension in the country, while jeopardising the half-hearted efforts being made to galvanise support for integration in West Africa.”

The group also stated that the era of coup in the West African country called for introspection of the kind of governance environment in Africa which it said, “is, at the moment, inclement.”

The statement said, “Rather,  our view is that much as Nigeria is being seen as soldering for democracy in Niger is in line with its democratic credentials on display in Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo and other places, we contend that the circumstances of the coup in Niamey in 2023 were quite different from other coups.

“In reacting to it, it requires a more painstaking effort at understanding the unhappy return of the military to governance in that country.

“Some issues are at stake. Firstly, are the inherent contradictions in Liberal Democracy, which are indeed many and disappointing for the masses who had risen in the defence of democracy in the 1980s and 1990s.

“Secondly, the erroneous belief that only the route of Liberal Democracy was capable of giving better living conditions for the people, preached in the 1980s and 1990s, is increasingly being shattered by existential realities in African countries.”