Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has appealed to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the media to collaboratively participate in ongoing endeavours aimed at encouraging the Nigerien Junta to embrace diplomacy in solving the current crisis in the nation.
Mr. Nkrumah emphasized the significance of this appeal, as it contributes to the preservation of ECOWAS’ initiatives to reinstate democratic governance in Niger.
“I implore CSOs, academia, and the Media to actively support continuous initiatives that prompt the junta to prioritize diplomacy, rather than casting doubt on the methods employed by ECOWAS,” he appealed during an appearance on News File program on Joy FM.
ECOWAS has declared that force is a last resort because it wishes diplomacy to succeed.
Instead of repeated calls on ECOWAS to abandon military intervention alternatives, Oppong Nkrumah is urging commentators to rather pile pressure on the Military Junta to let diplomacy succeed so force will not be necessary.
Barely 24 hours of concluding plans for a possible military intervention if diplomacy fails, The Niger Coup leaders have now agreed to open up for negotiations. This comes after earlier attempts failed which prompted meetings by ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence staff on alternative military action in Accra last week.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah believes conversations and commentaries on the matter especially by academia, CSOs and the Media should continue to focus on compelling the Junta to take the diplomacy option seriously.
“Though these interventions have been advertised as solutions to the growing terrorist incidents in Burkina, Mali and Niger, the data suggests that terrorism is getting worse rather after these interventions.
It is thus important that we shift from the propaganda and work towards the speedy resolution of democratic civilian governments to provide better structures to stem the tide.” He said.