An expert in international relations and lecturer at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun, Basit Abubakar Olokuta has explained that religion will play a vital role in interstate diplomacy that may finally resolve the current situation in Niger Republic.
Olokuta explained this while featuring on Insightful Moment show on Insight Links TV on Tuesday.
He added that the meeting between former Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi and the leader of the coup, General Abdourahmane Tchiani showed the active involvement of religious leaders in shaping the trajectory of the Nation.
The coupists have declined meeting with envoys from International bodies, including United States of America, African Union and others who wanted to have dialogue with them.
“Reacting to the development that the coup granted former Emir Lamido audience showed the importance of religion in resolving issues within interstate, most especially in Africa.
“One thing is that in Africa, up to this moment, religion plays a very crucial role in interstate diplomacy, the question of who you are as a person, your faith, and your religious lineage matter a lot when the issue of diplomacy is at play.
“I want to strongly believe that the coup granting His highness, Lamido Sanusi, the opportunity of a meeting was not because of any other thing but because of His position not even as the former Emir of Kano but as the Khalifa in the Tijanniyah Sufi in West Africa, by implication, his prominent religious status.” He said
“if you do not respect someone coming from a political background, you will respect someone coming from a religious background.
“In Sanusi’s interview, he explained that he was not sent by the government of Nigeria, that it was a product of his initiative just to dialogue with the junta.
“The individual’s identity, faith, and religious lineage hold considerable importance in diplomatic contexts. It’s clear that this gentleman is being approached as a peace advocate rather than a representative of a threatening entity,” Olokuta concluded.
