Niger:Threat of military intervention/Togo reportedly refuses overflight of its territory by Ecowas troops
According to some sources (as yet unconfirmed), Togo has refused to allow ECOWAS troops to overfly its territory for the armed intervention in Niger.
Pending confirmation of this information, President Faure Gnassingbé’s sense of pan-Africanism and his undisturbed and irreproachable stance on the Niger issue are to be commended.
Some forked tongues are questioning the silence maintained by the Togolese number 1 since the military coup in Niger, in contrast to his peers in the West African community who are agitating and taking aberrant decisions against the people of Niger, with the aim of putting Bazoum back in charge of the country throught an armed intervention.
But according to indiscretions, President Faure Gnassingbé is working behind the scenes for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the crisis and is opposed to the deployment of a military force in Niamey.
At a time when certain leaders, encouraged or influenced by France, have declared themselves ready to send their armies to Niger to rescue Bazoum and reinstate him in his position, the Togolese President has reportedly refused even to apply the sanctions imposed by the organisation.
Once again, Togo has shown itself to be a champion of dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Among the Heads of State in the region, the Togolese President stands out for his leadership and influential diplomacy, through which he acts as a barrier to any plans to destabilise the region.
Kodjovi Makafui
