‘Nigeria’s intervention in Benin was justifiable’

As debate rages over Nigeria’s intervention in Benin Republic, a Nigerian diplomat, Ambassador Suleiman Dahiru has defended the action.

What is your reaction to the step Nigeria took to restore the Talon administration in Benin Republic?

I will simply tell you that Nigeria did the right thing. Nigeria did the right thing because it acted on the basis of a request from the President of Benin Republic.

He asked Nigeria for help to put down the coup attempt and Nigeria, as a big brother of the Benin Republic, accepted to go in and abort the coup attempt. And he successfully did that.

So, to me, Nigeria did the right thing. And if you can remember during the period of President Obasanjo, there was also either a coup or attempted coup in, I think, Cape Verde or somewhere. And Obasanjo personally took up the matter and the government that was toppled was restored.

Nigeria is not throwing its weight about. If there is a request, Nigeria will gladly look at it objectively.

Nigeria did the right thing as a big brother and as a neighbor. Because we don’t know what would have happened if the coup had succeeded.

The lieutenant colonel that led the coup may come out and say that he has joined the AES countries. Further destabilizing ECOWAS. ECOWAS itself did the right thing by condemning it and by taking whatever it decided to take.

Don’t we have bigger problems at home that we should have focused on?

You have to understand one thing. Every country has its own problems, big or small.

Yes, Nigeria has a big problem of insecurity. But at the same time, it does not mean that when a genuine request from a friendly neighbouring country is made, Nigeria will ignore it. I don’t think that is the right thing to do.

If we want to remain good neighbours of the Benin Republic, we should come to their aid in their hour of need. And that is exactly what Nigeria did. And I don’t see anything wrong with it.

But of course, the opposition will complain that why should Nigeria go into Benin Republic when we have our own problems in Nigeria. Yes, this is part of what the opposition will do. But at the same time, we have to understand that there is a bigger picture.

We are dealing with a neighbour in his hour of need. Should we abandon them in their hour of need? The answer for me is no. We should go and help them.

Would our intervention not have a negative implication if the opposition succeeds in coming to power?

If the opposition comes to power, where? In Nigeria or in the Benin Republic? If it’s in Benin Republic. Yes, the present president has limited tenure. So if the opposition should win the election, it does not mean that the opposition will just simply say, we want to break our relationship with Nigeria because they came to prop up the government of the president alone.

I don’t think the opposition will ever do that. And I don’t think the opposition will even contemplate abandoning ECOWAS and joining AES states, the three countries that broke away.

What about the diplomatic row concerning the detention of our military plane in Burkina Faso?

No, you see, Nigeria did not violate any international laws, the plane did not land in Burkina Faso deliberately.

It was an emergency landing. And when you have a technical problem requiring emergency landing, you land at the nearest possible airport, whether permission is granted or not, because this is an emergency. And if you know the protocol, before approval can be given, it has to go through many layers in the Burkinabe government.

But this is an emergency. So the plane landed, and it is not on a hostile mission to any country. No.

So landing in Burkina Faso, to me, is perfectly within the international norm. The Nigerian Air Force plane did not land deliberately. So, the action of Burkina Faso together with Mali and Nigeria, condemning Nigeria as if Nigeria was on a hostile mission, to me is totally wrong.

It is not only totally wrong. It is totally wrong to detain the plane for so long, and the crew members for so long, after Nigeria had explained the circumstances surrounding the landing of the plane. This thing can happen anywhere, even in a hostile territory.

But you have to explain why. Once you have explained, a reasonable government will accept your reasoning. But then you are dealing with hot-headed young military officers occupying these three countries.

And therefore, they have seen it as if it is a hostile act from Nigeria, and that they have to react appropriately. To me, this is wrong. It is not only wrong, whether these three countries like it or not, they will have to maintain friendly relations with Nigeria.

Let me be blunt. Nigeria has passed the stage that any of these three countries can bluff. No.

Nigeria has passed that stage. And it is better for them to understand that it will be in their own national interest to accept that Nigeria is a reality in West Africa, that no country in West Africa can toy with it. So, the mistake they have made, they will continue to make, is that they are misguided.

What should Nigeria do?

Nigeria cannot forcefully go and rescue the officers being illegally detained or attacked by Burkina Faso. All that Nigeria can do is to follow the diplomatic process.

Let diplomacy work, it’s the only way to the end of this unfortunate matter. But I think Burkina Faso is making a great mistake. Let me also say Nigeria has come to the help or to the assistance of Burkina Faso before joining their general election.

Nigeria supplied them with vehicles and other logistics. And for them to forget that Nigeria does not have any hostile attitude towards any African country, not to talk of a West African country, to me, is misguided. OK.

Nigeria is yet to come out of its row with Niger Republic over the coup in that country two years ago and now this. Should Nigeria continue to interfere in the affairs of other countries?

Nigeria did not interfere in the affairs of the Niger Republic. ECOWAS took whatever action it wanted to take against the Niger Republic for the illegal change of government.

It only happened that President Tinubu was the president of ECOWAS at the time ECOWAS took the decision. It was not a decision taken by Tinubu as president of Nigeria. It was a decision taken by the ECOWAS head of state.

And Nigeria, with Tinubu as president, had a duty to implement the decisions taken by ECOWAS. So, if Niger will continue to hold it against Nigeria, that Nigeria did this or did that because there was an illegal change of government, then it was a mistake. And that mistake, maybe at a later time they will realize that yes, they made a mistake by holding Nigeria responsible for whatever happened at that time that Tinubu was the president of ECOWAS heads of state.

Many have complained about Nigeria’s relationship with France, when others are pulling out. What would you advise?

I think the mistake people are making is that because some countries have broken relationships with France, therefore Nigeria should also join. If France does anything wrong, as far as Nigeria is concerned, Nigeria will take appropriate action.

But as long as France has not done anything wrong to Nigeria, why should Nigeria now have a negative opinion of France or refuse to have anything to do with France? To me, this is not the way to conduct foreign relations. Foreign relations is based on maintaining good relationships with every country of the world. And Nigeria is known to be doing that.

So whoever is saying that other countries are pulling away from France and Nigeria is moving closer to France, they are making a mistake. Nigeria is capable of telling France, no, we don’t like you, we don’t like that. Unlike other countries, they couldn’t find their voice until when there was a change of government and young and idealistic military officers decided to say we don’t want to have any relationship with France again.

Nigeria, no. If you remember during the civil war, when France was backing Biafra, Nigeria took appropriate action. So you take action against another country if you perceive a hostile attitude from that country.

And France has not exhibited any hostile attitude towards Nigeria. So to me, we should maintain a good relationship with France irrespective of what other countries in West Africa are thinking of France. This one will involve going into a long history of colonialism, neocolonialism.

And what France did to those francophone countries after independence, but by making them virtually satellites of France, whether you are francophone or you are anglophone or you are lusophone, that is the Portuguese speaking countries. You will sooner or later show your displeasure with the way and manner you have been treated. And those countries felt justifiably, in my opinion, that France did not treat them well. France was only exploiting their resources. So they reacted in the way and manner they reacted. I don’t see anything wrong with it.

It was in their own national interest.

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