DIPLOMACY AND MEDIATION: PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN ON HIS WAY TO BURKINA FASO

Pres. Jonathan pictured this morning at the Presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport on his way to Burkina Faso for crisis talk with other ECOWAS leaders.

It is important to note that President Blaise Compaoré finally realised the limits of his reign on Friday31st, October, when the angry masses gathered in their tens of thousands in the capital told him that 27 years in office was more than enough for one man, setting alight the symbols of his power as they did so.

President Blaise Compaoré  got the message, ran to neighbouring Cote D’Ivoire with his family. Trust African soldiers, as they always seem to do, and the rush into the power vacuum created by disgraced Campaore, were the men with guns General Honoré Traoré, head of the armed forces, who claimed that he had taken charge of the country. But further confusion and uncertainty broke out after another military leader, Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida, declared himself to be president and saidTraoré’s claim was “obsolete”.

However, it seems that Lt.Col Isaac Zida is enjoying the backing of Presidential guard  an elite military unit of around 1,500 troops who are better armed and better trained than the conventional army.

Diplomacy and mediation are good gesture, but Mr. President MUST not forgets that we too have our own internal problem at home. Abi Boko Haram no be wahala?