ECOWAS sanctions against Nigerien putschists divide opinion in Guinea
The takeover by the military junta in Niger on July 26 continues to provoke reactions in Guinea. The National Rally Committee for Development (CNRD), which has ruled the country since September 2021, expressed its support for the Nigerien junta in a press release. However, this position is variously appreciated in the country.
The CNRD, the governing body of the Guinean junta, expressed its support for its counterpart in Niger, saying that the assumption of responsibility by the CNSP (National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland) is attracting the interest and support of the Guinean authorities towards the people of Niger.
This position was greeted with divergent opinions in political circles in Conakry. Junta supporters support the move, saying it confirms Guinea’s sovereignty and shows that its foreign policy is based on Pan-Africanism. They also warn that any intervention by ECOWAS in Niger will be considered an act of war or a provocation.
However, some members of the political opposition question the legitimacy of the CNRD to engage Guinea in this confrontation with ECOWAS. They point out that the junta is committed to respecting an agenda for the return to constitutional order over a period of 24 months, and that such a position goes against this commitment. Some even go so far as to accuse the leaders of the countries of the region of wanting to create a union within ECOWAS, thus endangering democracy and the rule of law.
It is important to note that this CNRD position paper is signed by the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Ibrahima Sory Bangoura.
Opinion therefore remains divided in Guinea on this question of ECOWAS sanctions against the Nigerien putschists. While junta supporters support the move, the political opposition questions the legitimacy of the CNRD and warns of the implications of such a stance