By Ononye VC
Catholic Bishops under the aegis of Reunion of Episcopal Conferences of West Africa (RECOWA) have called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Heads of State, and Government to restrain from the use of force to restore the constitutional government in the Niger Republic.
RECOWA, comprising all Catholic Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops in West Africa, raised concerns that the consequences of the proposed military intervention in Niger might be dire to the security of the entire West African sub-region.
The Catholic Bishops in a two-page letter to the President of ECOWAS, Heads of State of ECOWAS, and the Transitional Authorities in Niger, dated August 7, 2023, advised the sub-regional leaders to learn from what happened in Libya in 2011, describing it as a tragic example of the disastrous consequences for people’s lives, dignity, and future.
Signed by RECOWA President and Bishop of Agboville, Most Rev. Alexis Touabli Youlo, the Catholic Bishops appealed to the ECOWAS Heads of State to adopt dialogue and reconciliation rather than belligerence and military response.
The clerics stated that the letter to the Authorities of ECOWAS, followed the military coup that displaced the democratically elected government of President Mohammed Bazoum in the Niger Republic and the resolve of the ECOWAS to deploy all means necessary, even the use of force, to restore the constitutional regime in the country.
There has been report that ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military junta led by Abdourahmane Tchiani to restore President Bazoum’s government. The ultimatum had since elapsed without the coup leaders adhering to the ultimatum.
However, despite the disregard for ECOWAS, all other diplomatic measures taken by the ECOWAS, African Union, European Union, and the United Nations to resolve the impasse have not brought about order and stability to the troubled country.
The Catholic Bishops, however, canvassed pacifism rather than belligerence in the management of the crisis, inviting every actor outside the sub-region to show restraint, discernment, and responsibility.
The letter partly read: “We, the Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops of the Reunion of Episcopal Conferences of West Africa, after consultations, are deeply concerned by the sub-regional tension linked to the political situation in Niger. Faced with the events currently unfolding in the sub-region, the lives of the people of West Africa are at stake.
“Keeping as our central vision the integrity of the people and emphasising respect for human dignity and a high sense of accountability to mankind, history, and God the Creator, we affirm that nothing can justify the creation or facilitation of an environment that is destructive to our people.”
The letter sternly observed that no individual, national, regional, geo-political, or denominational interest or project should take precedence over the preservation of life, human dignity, and the well-being of the future generation in West Africa and beyond.
On this ground, the letter further read: “We, your pastors, are convinced, and the history of people teaches us that violence does not solve any problem, not even the one that triggered it. We affirm that any military intervention in Niger at this time would contemplate the situation of the people of Niger and the sub-region more than it would provide solutions.”
“Terrorism already has a macabre toll of widows, orphans, displaced persons, the hungry, the maimed, and so on. People are not expecting the regional, African, and other institutions to add to this toll,” the Catholic bishops of West Africa said.
In retrospect, the bishops cited the military intervention in Libya by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 2011, describing it as a tragic example of the disastrous consequences for people’s lives, dignity, and future.
They, therefore, added: “We cannot remain silent in the face of such situations and must learn lessons to ensure that such events do not happen again, particularly with Niger as a potential epicenter of a similar crisis. As a Bishops’ conference, our mission is intimately linked to the promotion of reconciliation and peace.
“We firmly believe that every human being is called to live in peace and to be a peacemaker in accordance with the teachings of the Bible and those of the holy books of other religious confessions, which exhort us to work for reconciliation and brotherhood between all peoples.”
“Peace is a precious gift that we must cultivate and preserve together. It is like a common mat that we must weave together with each person contributing to his or her thread,” they canvassed.
They also challenged all men, women, and national, sub-regional, and international organisations to play a positive role in easing tensions and promoting lasting peace, noting that the people of the region “love and accept each other and are constantly seeking to improve their coexistence.
“This is a natural gift that we must support and encourage. Every actor and institution should contribute positively to this process by promoting dialogue and cooperation,” the bishops further said.
They called on the African Union and ECOWAS to show responsibility before history and to revisit their respective missions. At this critical and delicate time, insisting that it is essential that these organisations play an active role in the search for peaceful and lasting solutions, putting the interests of the people and respect for their dignity first.
The bishops called on the sub-regional leaders to respond decisively to this call for restraint, discernment, and responsibility, but work together to build a future of peace and prosperity for the West Africa region and Africa as a whole.
