A Civil Society Organization, CSO,
One Love Foundation, OLF, has condemned threat and resolution by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to invade Niger Republic following failure of the coup plotters to relinquish power to the deposed President of Niger Republic, Mohamed Bazoum and release him and his family.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Founder and President, OLF, Chief Patrick Eholor, who pointed out that Article 53 (1) of the UN Charter states that ECOWAS must approach and secure the UN Security Council’s approval before attacking a sovereign state.
He said: "Our organisation being One Love Foundation, a foremost human rights organisation in africa committed to truth, public interest issues, and securing justice for all defenceless citizens in Africa.
"Today our team informed us that the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has ordered its standby military force to restore constitutional order in Niger Republic through deployment of troops to Niger republic.
"And that ECOWAS said all efforts made to dialogue with Niger Republic military junta have been defiantly rejected by the coup leaders as they condemn the continuous detention of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family members.
"Our team further discovered from print media that an ECOWAS resolution was partly passed and read to the effect and further direction that the committee of the Chief of Defence Staff of ECOWAS to activate the ECOWAS stand-by force with all its elements immediately and hence ECOWAS has ordered the deployment of the ECOWAS stand-by force troops to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
"Ordinarily, we would not have reacted but being one of the foremost public interest NGOs in Africa, and operating with headquarters office within ECOWAS Union, we wish to draw the ECOWAS Union to Article 53 (1) of the UN Charter, which states that 'ECOWAS must approach and secure the UN Security Council’s approval before attacking a sovereign state.
"Article 53(1) of UN Charter further says 'The Security Council shall, where appropriate, utilize such regional arrangements or agencies for enforcement action under its authority. And no enforcement action shall be taken under regional arrangements or by regional agencies without the authorization of the Security Council'.
"In this regard, we are fully aware that no UN Security Council has been sought by ECOWAS before any resolution whatever on Niger Republic or deployment of troops to invade Niger Republic and hence it will be an aberration under our extant international laws for the ECOWAS Union to attack Niger Republic in whatever form or disguise."
However, he vowed that a lawsuit will be filled against ECOWAS over any invasion of Niger Republic at the Africa Court of Justice.
"In the event that the ECOWAS and its Defence Council take any preemptive and war like steps against Niger Republic. We will drag ECOWAS to the African Court of Justice, and we hope ECOWAS Union is well guided', he added.
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