Chad: Be consistent, insist on democracy — HURIWA tells ECOWAS

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has accused the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and President Muhammadu Buhari of hypocrisy and double standard in the handling of the aftermath of the assassination of the erstwhile strongman of Chad Idriss Déby.

 The Rights group in a release to the media by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf expressed disappointment that ECOWAS has now decided to apply a different yardstick in the case of Chad.

 “We expect an organization like the Economic Community of West African States founded on the principles of the economic prosperity of member states anchored on the practices of democracy and constitutionalism to insist on the smooth transitions of power in Chad after the unfortunate assassination of the President of Chad Republic by rebels.

 “The decision by Chad’s military to dissolve parliament and unilaterally annul the results of the election in which the election umpire had already announced the winners and first runner up is to put it succinctly, a military coup”.

 HURIWA carpeted the leaders of ECOWAS for their apparent doublespeak in the case of Chad whereas the same ECOWAS stood vehemently and demanded civilian democracy in Mali when a few months back the Malian Junta struck and unseated the democratically elected President who subsequently resigned”.

 The prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group said the bloc of 15 West African countries condemned the mutiny within Mali’s armed forces that led to the seizure of power and ouster of President Ibrahim Boubacar Kéita. Mr. Keita announced his resignation in a televised address, adding that he had dissolved his government.

 The Rights group demanded that the most appropriate approach would have been for ECOWAS to insist that if the winner of the ill-fated poll in Chad has been killed even then his running mate or the first runner up in that election should be upgraded to the position of the winner instead of allowing the military to crush all democratic institutions just so they can install the son of the late leader who is serving four-star General.

HURIWA also asked ECOWAS to similarly suspend the membership of Chad until the Coup leaders return their nation to a path of constitutionalism.