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Sierra Leone’s Information Minister, Chernoh Bah has said that the country will uphold any resolutions made by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) concerning the situation in Niger.
Addressing journalists’ queries about Sierra Leone’s stance on the recent coup in Niger, where the military deposed the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, Bah stated that Sierra Leone would stand with the decisions of ECOWAS.
This coup has faced criticism from Western nations and several West African counterparts.
The collective stance of the 15-member West African group includes potential military intervention if the military does not reinstate the ousted president. This decision followed an urgent ECOWAS conference.
ManoReporters reports that Bah, during the government’s weekly media briefing on Tuesday, remarked, “Sierra Leone was present during the ECOWAS meeting where the decision was made. Whether we attended or not, as an ECOWAS member, we stand by its resolutions.”
While Guinea, currently under military governance, supports the Nigerien military regime, fellow Mano River Union countries, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire, have denounced the coup. Cote d’Ivoire has even offered to contribute troops if ECOWAS decides on a military intervention.
The Sierra Leonean government had previously kept silent on the Niger crisis. Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Major General Peter Kakowou Lavahun, partook in an ECOWAS military chiefs’ gathering in Abuja, discussing possible military action plans.
Attending the press meeting at the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Tuesday, Major General Lavahun mentioned that the decision to deploy the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces in Niger lies with President Julius Maada Bio. He confirmed Sierra Leone’s ongoing pledge to the ECOWAS Standby Force and highlighted that any active involvement decision rests with higher authorities.
He clarified, “Our pledge remains. But any engagement on our part needs a directive from the highest governing body. I can’t commit to action in Niger without explicit orders from the top.”
Another ECOWAS meeting is set in Abuja for Thursday, with President Bio departing Freetown for Abuja, as per an official statement, to attend this conference.
Our people are dying of hunger and starvation and we want to involve in a war that has nothing to do with us. Let us set our house in order. We the people of Sierra Leone don’t want to get involved in any war.
If you kill people of other Nationals for the same reason of which others feel you are not different from, the blood of those people Will hunt your the households of those in higher authority in taking decisions. That’s, if it’s so . Before rubbing blood on your hands, make sure it’s justifiable. So it will not hunt you back.
Maada Bio as he is an illigetimate president, he committed the same crime as Niger Junta leader did, by overthrowing democratically elected president of June 24th 2023 elections. How can Maada Bio send troops to fight Niger Junta leader? Let maada bio allowed democracy to rein in Sierra Leone first before he fight for democracy in other country. Democracy must restored back in Sierra Leone before the country move for development. If they encourage Maada Bio on this particular overthrowing of democracy, any leader can just pick commissioner and tell him/her to announce him winner either he lost the elections or not. Fellow citizens with this kind about way, our country will develop? Let’s say the truth here. Maada Bio must allowed the people’s decisions to reflect on the elections results.
Some Of you don’t even know what is overthrow because if you know you cannot say that maada bio overthrow samura. Maada bio was democratically elected he
Our people are dying of hunger and starvation and we want to involve in a war that has nothing to do with us. Let us set our house in order. We the people of Sierra Leone don’t want to get involved in any war.
You cannot wash blood with blood, you can only used water to wash away the blood. Your people don’t have peace in the country you want to go an caused war in another man’s land. Think before taking any action against Niger, it’s due to the improper justice that you are doing to us that led the coup d’etat to overthrow bazoum. because they are tired of suffering in the country. In Africa 🌍 people are tired of the suffering beware.
Our minds are narrow compared to the spectrum of the issue.
The issue is at a broader spectrum which none of ideas here can remedy the situation.
Such organizations work with member treaties which all members must abide to.
And let’s again don’t forget that we have the Yengah issue as a country, that requires the intervention of the ECOWAS and/or the AU. I’m not saying we should support ECOWAS or not.
All that I’m saying is, the issue is above any of us here, and we should wait for our leaders to meet and come up with a decision.
I can see some write ups politicizing the issue with things that have absolutely nothing to do with the issue at hand.
If ECOWAS fails to restore civilian rule in Niger, overthrow will be Oder of the day in all the remaining ECOWAS States. I don’t want war in any ECOWAS country but the military guys in Niger will not step aside through any diplomatic negotiations. This is a delicate case for ECOWAS.