By Mustapha Jarju
As opinions continue to be split on Gambia’s potential participation in a military intervention in Niger, the Beautiful Minds of Africa (BMA) CEO has advised the Barrow government to dedicate more time to finding solutions to local issues than deploying troops to Niger.
Currently, the Gambia government has yet to say whether or not it will commit troops to any ECOWAS-sanctioned military intervention in Niger to reinstate the country’s de jure President Muhammad Bazoum, who was deposed in a military coup almost a fortnight ago.
ECOWAS leaders met in Nigeria shortly after the takeover and issued an ultimatum to the junta to return to barracks within seven days or risk military intervention to restore the rule of Mr. Bazoum.
The chiefs of defense staff of ECOWAS also met in Abuja, Nigeria to knock heads together about the political situation in Niger.
But as speculations continue to be peddled about any possibility of The Gambia contributing troops to any ECOWAS military intervention in Niger, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder of Beautiful Minds of Africa (BMA), said The Gambia should be preoccupied with how to solve its own problems than meddling in another country’s internal matter by sending troops to Niger to fight for the reinstatement of former President Bazoum.
“We need to look into our own situation before jumping into another country´s sovereign problem. War is very expensive and no country wants to go to war, especially with our fragile economy,” Daffeh said in an interview with The Voice. “How can we afford to go to war?”
He advised the Gambia government to adopt a stance of neutrality in the Niger political crisis.
Daffeh argued that coup d’etat are undesirable but accused civilian political leaders of drowning their countries in debt. He said the sheer number of African youths, who struggle on a daily basis for employability, is lamentable.
Daffeh meanwhile urged African leaders to embrace dialogue in the Niger imbroglio before resorting to force.
He added that The Gambia is currently being stabilized by ECOMIG and therefore, queried the rationale behind any thinking to send troops from The Gambia to Niger.
“We are currently in control of the ECOMIG and for many years, the security sector reform that supposes to happen in this country cannot proceed,” he observed.
Daffeh called on African leaders to be mindful of the triggers of coups, saying Africa is now in the spheres of Russia and China after several decades of exploitation by America and Europe.
Meanwhile, BMA is a grassroots organization actively involved in peace advocacy, youth empowerment among other areas of intervention.
