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Former Nigerian foreign minister Bolaji Akinyemi suggested on Wednesday that the subregional peace monitoring force, ECOMOG, be used to defend democracy in West Africa.
In a speech at the start of a two-day conference on management of African security in the 21st century, he said Nigeria might soon promote an anti-coup pact in West Africa, ‘The Guardian’ of Lagos reported.
Nigerian troops, he said, should be used only after meeting certain guidelines such as not propping up military or civilian dictatorships. Instead, the troops should be sent to defend democratic orders and to prevent non-West African powers from imposing themselves in the subregion.
In further support of democratic governments, he said the African Development Bank’s Nigerian Special Development Fund should not provide assistance to undemocratic regimes.
Akinyemi also wants Nigeria to halt state visits to and from undemocratic nations or those that do not practice inclusive forms of government “except in very special circumstances of state security”, the newspaper reported.
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