Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that the current wave of upraising buckling up in Mali has called for concern for the West African Countries, especially Nigeria.
Contained in an article Obasanjo wrote on Thursday, he opined the crises poses a very serious threat to the corporate existence of the West African countries like Senegal, Burkina Faso, and ultimately the Niger Republic.
Recently, Mali has been hit by a wave of upraising following a nation-wide protest demanding the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita over an allegation bordering on corruption and incompetence.
Former President Jonathan has yesterday rushed to Mali as ECOWAS envoy for possible calming of the situation through mediating in the crises that have already consumed 11 people’s lives.
Obasanjo opined that the current protest may differ from the previous one considering the fact that it has received wide range support from civil society organizations, the main opposition, and some political actors, it has also had the approval of the vast majority population in Mali.
His statement which partly reads; “The current political turmoil in Mali is of grave concern considering the multidimensional impact of an escalation of the political impasse on about 19 million citizens and what a destabilized Mali will mean to West Africa,” he said in the article.
“The consequences will reverberate across the whole West Africa region, with the safety and security of Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Niger directly at risk. If those countries stumble, the effects will ripple across coastal states such as Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Guinea. It will reverberate even to Nigeria.
According to Obasanjo, Mali is the brewing pot that when allowed to burst is capable of creating a wave of insecurity across West African countries.
He proposed that for the crises to be addressed, three things need to be considered; first is negotiating a compromise to bring the protest to an end to relieve the country’s tension, this would not compromise democracy, security, and human rights.
Secondly, Obasanjo said the next is the implementation of the Peace Accord in collaboration with other stakeholders crucial to peace and where necessary make needed adjustment to meet new realities through inclusive consultation.
He said that would go a long way in fostering inclusivity in conflict resolution governance and decision making which has been the bend on the country.
“Finally, the actors and process must acknowledge the influence of geo and international politics in Mali and ensure the cooperation and commitment of the key external players to ensuring peace, stability, and growth for the people of Mali.”
Meanwhile, he called on Mali citizens to be patriotic and have goodwill to resolve the crises, calling on political actors and other elites to put heads together to save the situation.
