ECOWAS cannot lose credibility before the coupists they did not miss the dead line in a given context or concept. The war has already started. Let me expand on the latter. Where electricity is cut off, Air space not open anymore,
Borders closed! of course means the "clinical war" has began. What remains to be seen practically speaking are boots on the ground but the war has started in earnest. Within the true meaning of strategies ECOWAS has not missed the date! War is not only when you hear the shot or shots fired! It encumbers a lot more with the help of MI.
Analysing the types of war that are taught and fought
The types of wars that are fought when boots are on the ground or taught within the 4 walls of war colleges are tabulated below.
TOTAL WAR: It is warfare not restricted to purely legitimate military targets thus can result in massive civilian or non combatants suffering. Similar to what is looming above the heads of junta leaders in Niamey and every other citizen of Niger as we speak.
CIVIL WAR: It is where and when internal forces battle militarily for governmental control. Latter is what teared Ivory Coast apart. It is what tore Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau apart. In all these countries ECOWAS could not escape being obliged to act. They went in and faced loss of lives and destruction of property. We don't want that to remain the legacy of West Africa in years to come.
American Revolution:
It is used as an example because something uncommon was part of the strategies used. The continental army made relatively little use of cavalry primarily relying on the infantry. There is the possibility of that method being adopted in Niger. Interestingly most of those who staged coups in French speaking Africa today were trained in France and the USA. What a paradox!
INSURGENCY: Can be fought through counter insurgency or be opposed by measures put in place to protect the population or by political and economic actions. In a war like this one I would emphasise one thing here. Which is, our own nations in Africa don't always put these two on their rightful pedestals. What are they?
Intelligence gathering and strategies
Latter is how former colonial powers were able to infiltrate Africa only to neutralize or exfilarate our own freedom fighters. No nation can win a war without filtering thru all the complexities mowed by Human Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence ultimately Anticipatory Intelligence. Especially in today's world!
With all these types of wars that are being fought or taught we do have sudden outbursts like coup d'etats added on the list.
One thing that is obvious is that the following are assassins of democracy.
They are:
*COUP D'ETATS,
*REBELLIONS,
*TERRORISM
Or any form of violence meant to render a territory ungovernable.
Honestly speaking the above referenced are assasins of democracy.
MAO ZEDONG said:
Quote: "Politics is war without bloodshed, while war is politics with bloodshed".
Why not we opt for the former instead of the latter until where diplomacy has exhausted all its methods and approaches.
The Gambia has a playbook to put on the stage of political theater. A book that can produce a class act on the stage of the theatricality of political strategies within ECOWAS and beyond. At this juncture history brings back old and sorrowful memories. It is when war failed and horror remained a partner of trauma in the psyche of societies in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau and Ivory Coast.
In all these countries intervention forces to be more precise ECOWAS forces faced stiff resistance except when they came to The Gambia. In 2016 our opposition leaders and our population were extremely mature, stable and never relented to find a lasting peace. ECOMIG is here, most of them love this country so much. The Ghanaian contingent has been building schools and playing tournaments with our local folks. Senegalese forces have kin here and have even married or intend to marry Gambians so do the other contingents like Nigerians. Our former leader first President of the Rp of The Gambia Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara was a very peaceful man. However, when an uprising took place in The Gambia in 1981 he fought back militarily with the help of Senegal. Him singing "Jaw Jaw is better WAR WAR" does not mean it was cowardice. Brave minds and hearts negotiate first before striking.
Former Tanzanian President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere a civilian leader who was never a soldier removed an erratic dictator Idi Amin Dada in 1979. Amin used to call Nyerere a woman! Diplomacy first means maturity first.
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