A former UN Resident Coordinator for Guinea, Liberia, and Chad, Dr. K.O. Amaning, has emphasized the necessity of a political resolution to address the political tensions in Niger, underscoring that military intervention should only be considered as a last resort in achieving a lasting solution.
Speaking as an international relations analyst, he shared these insights during a virtual discussion organized by the Council on Foreign Relations-Ghana.
The discussion centered on the topic “Niger Crisis, Implications for West Africa.”
Dr. Amaning conveyed his perspective on military intervention, stating,“for those who think military intervention can help, I believe they need to reconsider that position, if they have the resources to be able to pursue and manage the fallout of this. I don’t think military intervention is something we should look at as a walk in the park, and therefore we should be able to resolve this problem. I think we should pay more attention to how we create economic growth to make democracy look good so that all the other people will emulate it. Whatever it takes, the only solution that will come will be a political settlement. And that is the only thing that allows us to build on whatever becomes peace in a more durable manner to be able to develop the area.”
He emphasized the urgency of providing the necessary resources for rebuilding the troubled nation.
Dr. Amaning expressed concern over the untapped natural resources that could have alleviated poverty among Niger’s citizens.
“The crisis in Niger can be traced back to a lengthy period of what I describe as entrenched poverty, contributing to the erosion of human dignity and quality of life for its people. In my view, poverty has manifested as structural violence, deeply affecting Niger’s population. Consider the scenario where historical colonial and post-colonial governments allowed Niger to fully harness its resources, devoid of limiting colonial agreements. If international competition and economic players had been granted access to bid and operate, Niger’s history would be vastly different. Economic growth would have flourished. We need to scrutinize the reasons for this systemic poverty.”
He called upon African leaders, particularly those within ECOWAS, to avoid exacerbating the structural violence that threatens to undermine social and economic well-being.
“Niger’s crisis dates back to a long decade of what I consider to be endemic poverty and the degradation of human dignity and the standard of living of the people. Poverty in my opinion has become structural violence, in which the people of Niger live. Imagine if all colonial and post-colonial governments had allowed Niger to use its resources, without any colonial treaties and pacts that hampered their governance. How all these resources we are talking about, the land for agriculture, uranium, oil, and gold, remain untapped.”
“If all of these had been subjected to international competition and other economic actors had been allowed to bid and work there, the history of Niger would have been different. There would have been economic growth, so we need to look at why there is endemic poverty.”
“If we want to help Niger and look at Niger in a way that we will want to judge Niger, especially all the years of constitutional review, we must be careful not to expect too much. If the state is poor, how do you expect the state institutions to work? And we should therefore not add to the structural violence that will come to destroy their social, political, and economic lives. That should be the least that we should look at.”
One of the participants took a swipe at ECOWAS for attempting to intervene in the Niger junta.
“In light of the ongoing unrest, it’s crucial to confront the underlying issues. We must address the core problems honestly. This is why I take issue with ECOWAS. Why rush to military intervention? What are the root causes that led to the change in power? Shouldn’t we be working to find solutions to those fundamental issues? The time has come for us to stand by Niger and advocate for its autonomy, akin to a second independence from France. They should possess the capacity to determine their own course.”