Abuja, Nigeria – On Saturday, the Financial Group of West African States (ECOWAS) will maintain a summit in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, to debate the exit of three member states and a constitutional disaster in a fourth.
The withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from the regional bloc in January has heightened issues over the attainable unfold of insecurity within the Sahel to different components of West Africa.
Mixed, the trio have skilled 5 coups within the final three years, with the putschists citing the shortcoming of the governments they changed, to deal with the unfold of armed teams within the area.
The coups have led to stiff post-coup sanctions from ECOWAS which have angered Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Nevertheless it has additionally triggered a debate concerning the state of democracy within the area, whilst locals within the affected nations appear to have principally welcomed the navy takeovers.
Forward of the bloc’s assembly, Nigeria’s navy chief, Basic Christopher Musa, spoke to Al Jazeera in Abuja on Tuesday concerning the unfolding state of affairs in Niger and different issues, together with challenges Nigeria is going through in its personal battle towards armed teams.
This interview has been edited for readability.
Al Jazeera: What affect has Niger’s exit from ECOWAS had on operations to struggle armed teams throughout the area?
Musa: Now we have the Multinational Joint Process Drive within the Lake Chad area, comprising Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Nigeria, however due to the problem with Niger, they’ve pulled out, although not completely as a result of they’re nonetheless holding onto their space as a result of they know the repercussions. In the event that they pull out, they are going to be uncovered. We really feel we’re all Africans – we should always by no means enable Africa to show right into a proxy battle area. We can not afford to do this. Nigeria has nothing towards Niger, Cameroon or Burkina Faso. All of us want one another. They can not do it alone, and we can not do it alone. Collectively, we will confront the jihadists, and the jihadists are coming after them. Mali, Burkina Faso,, and Niger have been having sizzling with the jihadists.
Al Jazeera: Is the navy decision of the disaster towards Niger nonetheless on the playing cards?
Musa: Diplomatically, ECOWAS is making efforts to get throughout to Niger for them to see the explanation why they should return to democracy and return to ECOWAS. That’s why we prevented any navy battle. There have been people that needed navy battle, and we mentioned no. We don’t need our area to be become a proxy battle space as a result of it should do us no good. Each nations want to stay mates as a result of the enemy we’re coping with is able to kill anyone.
Al Jazeera: Do you assume you’re outfitted sufficient to probably finish the battle in Nigeria, the place armed teams have held sway for greater than a decade?
Musa: Certainly one of my biggest challenges is that I don’t have the weapons that I would like. Even when I’ve the cash to purchase, getting them is an issue. Now we have conditions the place we go to different nations and even with our cash, to get them turns into an issue. If I can get 1 p.c of what’s being given to Ukraine, I guarantee you, Nigeria would be the most peaceable nation on this planet. Nevertheless it’s tough even with my cash. Why are we not getting these weapons even when we’ve cash to purchase them? We don’t produce them. President Bola Tinubu has directed that due to this, our defence industrial cooperation should work. We observed that if we don’t produce, we will probably be held to ransom. We don’t need anyone to carry us down.
Al Jazeera: What knowledgeable the choice to disclaim Nigeria the acquisition of some weapons to struggle armed teams?
Musa: Some legal guidelines have been used towards us on why we can not get weapons due to ECOMOG [ECOWAS Monitoring Group] operations. ECOMOG was greater than 20 years in the past. Lots of people who took half in ECOMOG are now not within the system. Nigeria is understood for obeying human rights. Once we make errors, we personal up and make corrections. However we’ve seen nations that don’t even obey human rights which are being given weapons freely.
Al Jazeera: On the matter of human rights, what’s the most recent replace on the military drone attack that killed greater than 80 civilians in northern Kaduna in December?
Musa: The experiences are prepared and can most likely be introduced earlier than the top of this month. Why we had some delays is as a result of we had been making an attempt to be very crucial to get the names of those who suffered casualties and it’s been extraordinarily tough getting the names. From what we’ve, it’s very clear it was a mistake, and we’re addressing it. Generally, issues simply occur, and there may be nothing you are able to do about it. Now we have seen the place we’ve shortcomings, and we’re addressing them. We’ll by no means intentionally goal harmless civilians for no matter causes.
Al Jazeera: Considerations have been expressed concerning the proliferation of arms and ammunition within the Sahel area.
Musa: We all know the challenges we’ve with mild weapons and small arms worldwide. Their proliferation is inflicting quite a lot of concern in Africa, to Nigeria specifically and the West Africa subregion. Within the struggle we’ve with bandits, ISWAP, Boko Haram and the remainder, we’ve been in a position to get better quite a lot of unaccounted weapons into the nation. It reveals that we require worldwide cooperation and collaboration for us to have the ability to deal with this subject. Most African nations don’t produce these weapons. These weapons get into the mistaken arms, they usually turn into a risk. That’s the reason the worldwide group should take accountability for this to make sure that these weapons don’t get into the mistaken arms. For Nigeria, we’re constructing the capability of our borders to make sure we checkmate the actions of this tools as a result of we all know the hurt they’re inflicting. For us, the armed forces, and different members of the safety forces, we guarantee we safeguard the arms we’ve been in a position to formally procure.
Al Jazeera: With the battle in Ukraine and the invasion of Gaza by Israel, received’t this add to issues about arms stepping into the arms of armed teams within the Sahel area?
Musa: We name on the worldwide group to take accountability to make sure they put measures in place to forestall these weapons from stepping into the mistaken arms as a result of as soon as they do, we’ve quite a lot of criminals and jihadists who’re prepared to make use of them towards harmless residents.