Tag: ECOWAS

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Bibi, Buhari, and the Gordian Knot of Biafra

When Buhari shut down Bibi’s visit to the ECOWAS conference scheduled oearly 2015, the message was clear: Israeli’s are not welcome here.  Although Buhari is only one voice within the 15 member economic zone, he is a powerful one.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and has been receiving advanced arms from the Obama administration to fight Boko Haram. Despite this, Nigeria itself is on borrowed time.The movement for an independent state of Biafra, which is in southeast Nigeria is serious and its backers are growing.  The Igbo and those tribes that are connected to them have begun to return to their roots, which are directly connected to the Israel.

Buhari understands this and so he pushed back against inviting Bibi Netanyahu to the ECOWAS Summit. If he were to let the summit go ahead with Netanyahu, Buhari would risk being the vehicle that would allow Bibi to commandeer West African support for Israel. West Africa is key for Israel for multiple reasons. The most important is it gives Israel an ability to block the movement of Islam South into the heart of Africa.

Secondly, Buhari has his hands full with the awakening of Biafra in the southeast of the country.   If Biafra gains independence,Nigeria would not only lose a third of it’s land, but the source of its oil.  Besides the economic value Biafra brings, an independent Biafra would rectify the historic wrong perpetrated by European Christians and other colonial forces against the Igbo and the other tribes of the Guinea Coast with Hebrew roots.  Biafra’s restoration is central to the growing rapprochement between Africa and Israel.  If allowed to continue, leaders like Buhari are on borrowed time.

One way for Israel to pressure Buhari is to draw attention to Nigeria’s unlawful imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB. Granting Kanu freedom would be the fasted way for Islamists like Buhari to feel the force of the coming pendulum swing back towards a sane West Africa.  A West Africa that cherishes its lost Hebraic culture and works to safeguard its burgeoning relationship with Israel.

 

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Buhari Blocking Bibi From Visiting ECOWAS

In another sign of President Buhari of Nigeria’s ardent anti-Israel views  he has remained the lone holdout to signing off on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to the ECOWAS summit in January.  The Prime Minister was set to meet with the leaders of the 15 African states that make up the Economic Community of West African States and was in fact personally invited by the head of ECOWAS Marcel Alain de Souza during his visit last month to Israel.

Muhammadu Buhari has taken a blatent anti-Israel tone since his surprising election last year.  He defeated Goodluck Jonathan Nigeria’s first pro-Israel President in a very shady election. Buhari has used his election to attack opponents, especially in the territory of Biafra by arming Islamic Fulani herdsman and encouraging them to raid Jewish and Christian communities in the South and South East.

Bibi’s want to use the ECOWAS summit to replay his successful visit to East Africa. Furthermore he is attempting to shore up a coalition of African nations that could hold off the onslaught of radical Islam.  Given Buhari’s connections to Boko Haram it is doubtful he would follow suit. The question remains to see if ECOWAS can stand up to him.  Afterall Buhari is supported by President Barak Hussein Obama.