All eyes have been turned towards the neighboring Republic of Niger in recent days. President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted from power by the military, who now dictate the law in a country already plagued by significant security, economic, and social challenges. Faced with this military takeover, which has been condemned by various personalities and the international community, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intends to restore constitutional order at any cost. Since then, summits on the Niger situation have multiplied.
During an extraordinary meeting held on August 10, 2023, in Abuja, Nigeria, the heads of state and government of the sub-regional institution chose to prioritize diplomacy and negotiation, but the military option remains on the table, as the ECOWAS standby force is activated and its deployment ordered. The Nigerien military junta must promptly relinquish power and return to the barracks. This controversial decision has sparked unrest among the Nigerien population and within the member countries of the institution. The Nigerien military, however, refuses to comply, and they have already found allies who support them in their resistance.
The countdown has begun. Faced with this escalating tension, commentary varies on the relevance of a military intervention by the African sub-regional institution. Although the coup is condemnable, many are questioning whether a military intervention is the solution to restore constitutional order. However, the real question that deserves to be asked is about the fate of the population – the youth, women, children, and elderly – who are the true victims of conflicts. The evidence shows that since the coup on July 26, 2023, it is primarily this Nigerien population that has borne the brunt of the sanctions imposed by the international community. Sanctions that are severely testing their already economically burdened activities due to numerous issues related to poverty and the atrocities of jihadist groups that commit violations and killings while authorities and the same international community look on helplessly. This same population will be the first to experience the heavy, even tragic, consequences of a war looming on the horizon.
The Examples Are Abundant. The Figures Are Chilling. The Sierra Leonean conflict of the 1990s resulted in the death of about 75,000 people. Half a million refugees and over 2 million displaced persons, according to “Perspective Monde” published on November 2, 2008. This figure represents about 44% of the population. The populations endured the worst atrocities from rebel groups who had eyes only for diamonds. Rebels deliberately amputated their hands to prevent them from engaging in their activities in order to keep them under their control. The movie “Blood Diamond” by American director Edward Zwick, starring Djimon Hounsou from Benin and Leonardo DiCaprio from the United States, perfectly illustrates the reality of the Sierra Leonean conflict with thousands of child soldiers and women and girls transformed into sexual slaves, raped, and massacred. Those who managed to survive live the rest of their lives with scars, unless they committed suicide for being rejected by society and their families.
The same occurred in Liberia and Angola in the 1990s. The Liberian civil war lasted nearly 14 years and resulted in 250,000 deaths between 1989 and 2003. It was a gruesome conflict with massacres, rapes, acts of cannibalism, and the forced recruitment of child soldiers. Let’s spare you the Rwandan genocide, which resulted in over a million deaths in 1994. How many will suffer this time in Niger if the military intervention takes place? How many refugees? How many war victims? How many…? How many…? We always find ways to justify these coups or military interventions without truly considering the consequences so dramatically affecting the populations. As long as the interests of a few are preserved. The rest are mere details. No, these atrocities against populations cannot be considered less important.
The Most Difficult Is Yet to Come… If these four countries (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, and Rwanda) seem to have recovered from the war and are struggling to rebuild themselves in recent years, the same cannot be said for others. The sky is still smoking for Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, the Congo, Eritrea, Haiti in North America, or more recently, Ukraine in Europe. These countries continue to count their dead. The conflict remains open in some cases and dormant in others, with the constant threat of implosion. The abuses against populations, especially women and girls who are the most vulnerable during these conflicts, remain ongoing. The principle of the sanctity of life is violated by people who would never accept to experience the atrocities they inflict on the populations. Human life is sacred, they say, and must always be protected.
God has given men the authority to kill and eat other forms of life (Genesis 9:3), but the killing of another human being is strictly prohibited under penalty of condemnation. This principle of life means absolutely nothing to war apologists who consider war as a good political decision to establish peace. So be it! But a peace that will never come in many cases.
Given this dark picture, it is important to ask whether we should continue to resort to force to resolve political issues. If the answer is affirmative, then we should remove words such as negotiation, diplomacy, talks, dialogue, and others from our vocabulary, as they no longer seem to have a place.
Is War the Solution? Si vis pacem, para bellum. If you want peace, prepare for war, according to a Latin saying. War as a solution to bring peace, according to an American general, “you have to kill people, and when you’ve killed enough of them, they stop fighting…” War is thus presented here as a political solution to bring peace after annihilating the enemy’s power to ensure victory following their unconditional surrender. But should we continue to resort to war to bring about peace when we know that in the 21st century, all nations are armed with formidable weapons and have formidable allies that allow them to face the enemy with much more confidence? Today, all forces believe so much in their capabilities that surrender is the last thing they consider.
In addition to the many examples of countries at war for years without a predictable outcome, the example of the war on terrorism is also a perfect illustration of the fact that war is no longer the solution to bring peace. The American military, which unsuccessfully attempted to forcibly establish democracy in Iraq through invasion, had to leave after 20 years of fighting against insurgent movements and the enduring political polarization. This war triggered violent instability in the Middle East that is still not under control to this day.
