Since the unfortunate coup d’etat carried out by General Abdulrahman T’chaini, the head of the military junta against the democratically elected president of Niger Republic, Muhammed Bazoun in July 2023, the Nigeria/Niger relationship has been strained or can be described as that of cat and mouse.
The bloodless coup had come in the aftermath of the military takeover of two Sahelian countries – Mali and Burkina Faso – which are former colonies of France.
Military coup d’etat in Africa is seen or considered as an old passion. For more than two decades, many African countries have embraced democracy. Though some African countries have continued to witness leadership sit-tight syndrome by some despots, democracy is well-grounded and accepted across the globe.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to restoring democracy in Niger Republic had led to the imposition of sanctions notable among which is the cutting off of electricity supply and border closure. This came after all avenues had been explored, including sending powerful delegates to mediate and convince the military to backtrack or change their mind.
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Despite the economic sanctions slammed on the Sahelian countries that experienced coup d’etat, the military juntas have refused to cede to ECOWAS’s unconditional demand to conduct elections and return those countries to democratic rule.
While Niger Republic’s military junta will use propaganda to justify its stay or failure, the Nigerian government should not serve as a launching pad for destabilising the country as alleged by General T’chiani.
Recently, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Emmanuel Macron of France agreed to develop joint projects to promote and diversify the critical minerals value chain in their solid mineral sector. The two countries also agreed to collaborate on research, training and Franco-Nigeria student exchange to transfer knowledge.
These are some of the low-hanging fruits arising from the MOU signed between France and Nigeria. This development coming from Niger’s Republic’s former colony may have caused jitter in the military junta and ultimately elicited suspicion.
Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua wrote from Kaduna State
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