Nigerian flag burning and discrediting of Tinubu are both condemned by CNG in the Niger Republic.

ABUJA – The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has strongly condemned the continued discrediting of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and burning of Nigerian flag by the Ni­geriens who have been protesting on the streets of Niger Republic, in solidarity for the military junta in the country.

A statement on Friday issued by Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, CNG Spokesperson, condemned the burning in Niger of the Nigeri­an national flag and demand the military junta to order it to stop forthwith.

Suleiman, pointed out that the discrediting of President Tinubu, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, is not “only immor­al and illegal, but also abhorrent to Nigeria’s collective sensibilities and ordinary decency and there­fore unacceptable.”

The Coalition of Northern Groups demands from the mili­tary leaders in Niger to take action against the continued burning of Nigerian flag and warns that “they stand to lose the ample public sym­pathy freely given to them by the vast majority of Nigerians.”

According to the statement, “CNG notes also that the military junta in Niger have encouraged or overlooked the offensive manner their citizens have engaged in the public insult to the collective sensi­bilities of Nigerians and Nigeria as a country, by desecrating the Nige­rian national flag.”

The Coalition of the Northern Groups further reiterated its stand against the use of military action against Niger, while calling for di­alogue and use of diplomacy in the resolution of crisis in the country.

“We emphatically repudiate any form of preference for military action against Niger or any other West African or African nation by any regional or international com­munity/institution.

“We demand both the mili­tary authorities in Niger and the ECOWAS to open and allow all doors for discussions devoid of any hidden agenda or unnecessary pre­conditions for genuine dialogue.

“We call on the leaders of the coup in Niger Republic to discard their rigid stance and unhelpful show of bravado and embrace all diplomatic overtures in order to reach a peaceful and bloodless resolution of the matter, keeping in mind that threats and conflicts have very little or no utility value.

“We call on the Federal Govern­ment of Nigeria to reconsider its stand on the closure of boarders with Niger and the seizure of elec­tricity supply.

“We warn against unnecessary escalation of the situation by the unsolicited intervention of the in­ternational community and other dubious foreign interests.

“It is imperative that they un­derstand that bilateral relation­ships are guided by the principles of sovereignty, promotion of peace and the standards that guide legiti­mate interference.

“Hence, their intervention, exclamations and actions in th affairs of the continent should not be drawn to discountenance the effort of African to protect its cit­izens and to impose law and order.”

The CNG further called on the international community and or­ganisations to weigh the impact and consequence of a destabilised West African sub-region, which will certainly threaten the peace and security of the entire Africa.

The Group also warned that any breakdown of law and order will only compound the security and humanitarian situations in the region, especially in Mali, Lib­ya but also will “further worsen the continent, disrupt international co­hesion, compound the despondent cases of human trafficking, migra­tion and other challenges the conti­nent and the world are now facing.”…