UNGA 2023: President Tinubu, President Biden Condemn Military Coups In Africa
President Joe Biden of the United States of America has restated the commitment of his country to supporting representative democracy across the world while condemning military coups in West and Central Africa. President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has also spoken in the same vein describing military coups as wrong and unreflective of the collective aspirations of Africans.
Having cases of military coups recorded is according to Tinubu ‘a demand for solutions to perennial problems’ and not that Africans are in support of unconstitutional change of government.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that President Biden and President Tinubu said this in their separate speeches at the ongoing 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly which holds between September 17 and 22.
In a coup detat carried out by military officers in the Republic of Niger on July 26, 2023, President Mohamed Bazoum was arrested and detained by the coup plotters led by the country’s new leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani.
The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government had not only condemned this but also issued a seven-day ultimatum demanding that Muhammed Bazoum should be returned to power without delay.
They had also imposed land and border closures and suspended all commercial flights between Niger and ECOWAS member countries, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, who announced these resolutions, had also hinted at a military operation.
On August 30, 2023, a coup d’état also occurred in Gabon shortly after the announcement that incumbent President Ali Bongo Ondimba had won the election held on 26 August.
Speaking on Tuesday, President Biden expressed support for the actions taken by the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to pressurize the military leaders in Niger Republic to restore democracy and ensure that Mohamed Bazoum gets recognized as president.
President Biden said the United States will continue to support the AU, ECOWAS and other regional bodies working to protect democracy while asserting that democracy remains the best tool for countries to meet the challenges that humanity faces today.
‘We convened the Summit for Democracy to strengthen democratic institutions, root out corruption and reject political violence. And at this moment where democratically elected governments have been toppled in quick succession in Western and Central Africa, we’re reminded this work is as urgent and important as ever.
We stand with the African Union and ECOWAS and other regional bodies to support constitutional rule. We will not retreat from the values that make us strong, we will defend democracy, our best tool to meet the challenges that we face around the world and we are working to show how democracy is delivering in ways that matter to people’s lives’ he said.
President Biden also talked about climate change and its devastating impacts as well as Artificial Intelligence submitting that the emerging technology should be supported by nations for the good and protection of the citizens.
The US president also condemned the Russian war in Ukraine and rallied global support for the Ukranian people while calling for the expansion of the United Nations Security Council with the injection of fresh permanent and non-permanent members.
‘The US is working across the board to make global institutions more responsive. For example, we have taken significant steps to scale up the World Bank, expanding its financing to lower middle-income countries so it could help boost progress for meeting sustainable development goals and better address interconnected challenges like climate change and fragility’ he said.
Biden said he had last month asked the US Congress for ‘additional funds to expand the World Bank financing by $25bn’ adding that the G20 is also expected to rally bigger economies of the world to mobilize more funding for the global bank ‘so that we can collectively deliver the transformational boost to world Bank lending’.
It was the first time Tinubu would be attending a session of the United Nations General Assembly as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and he has urged total support for representative democracy.
‘We must affirm democratic governance as the best guarantor of the sovereign will and well-being of the people. Military coups are wrong, as is any tilted civilian political arrangement that perpetuates injustice’ he submitted while adding that ‘the wave crossing parts of Africa does not demonstrate favour towards coups. It is a demand for solutions to perennial problems’.
’As Chairman of ECOWAS, I seek to help re-establish democratic governance in a manner that addresses the political and economic challenges confronting that nation, including the violent extremists who seek to foment instability in our region. I extend a hand of friendship to all who genuinely support this mission’ he added.
The protracted battle against violent extremists has also according to him created ‘a dark channel of inhumane commerce’ adding that ‘along the route, everything is for sale. Men, women and children are seen as chattel’.
‘Yet, thousands risk the Sahara’s hot sand and the Mediterranean’s cold depths in search of a better life.
At the same time, mercenaries and extremists with their lethal weapons and vile ideologies invade our region from the north’ he submitted.
President Tinubu also noted that African nations improving their economies will help to address such a problem.
‘African nations will improve our economies so that our people do not risk their lives to sweep the floors and streets of other nations.
We also shall devote ourselves to disbanding extremist groups on our turf’ he said.
He has also called on the international community to strengthen its commitment to stopping the flow of arms and violent people into West Africa while warning that the continued looting of Africa’s mineral resources threatens peace and poses a danger to national security.
‘If left unchecked, they will threaten peace and place national security at grave risk’ he said.
President Tinubu added that many of Africa’s mineral rich areas have become catacombs of misery and exploitation, noting that the Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered this for decades, despite the strong UN presence there-Team@orientactualmags.com
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