With the ongoing issues in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso etc concerning Coup plotters and illegitimate Governments in Africa. I would propose that there are some benefits and drawbacks to a military intervention in sister African countries.

Military Intervention Demerits/Drawback
1. Legitimacy: There are many Nigerians and citizens of other states who believe that Nigeria being at the center of a military intervention lacks legitimacy because the current President isn't the credible winner of the just concluded 2023 general elections. Therefore he has no moral obligation to interfere in the sovereignty of another nation.
2. Sovereignty: There is a question of sovereignty and the right to self determination. It is enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations that countries must respect territorial sovereignty of each other without the need to go to war except dialogue has been duly exhausted. Although there is a grey area concerning non-democratic, fascist or authoritarian countries. This usually comes down to limited interactions and vested interests between them. Take North Korea, South Korea for example.
3. War Displacement and Economic Impact: There are some who believe that a military intervention would have severe economic hardship on West Africa as well as an increase in internally displace persons especially with Nigeria's current inflation and buying rate as well as poverty conditions which could spread on a larger scale to other areas of Africa.
4. Increase in Terrorism: There is a general consensus that what happened to Libya in its efforts to curb an authoritarian government by the west could inadvertently lead to the spread of terror and terrorist elements who would take advantage of the chaos and seek to enforce their own version of justice, government and ideology.
5. Proxy War: The proposed intervention in Niger is seen by some people as an extension of the proxy War between the Russian Federation and the USA/Western Europe in its attempts to create a larger sphere of influence and dominance as it is public knowledge that these countries do not like to engage each other directly based on their nuclear capabilities rather they use smaller countries for their benefit and selfish interests.
6. Military Impotence: Many Nigerian share the belief that their military is impotent in the face of battle ready opponents except when it comes to civil matters in which case the Military moves in quick motion to express abuse of powers and gross negligence. This is because the Nigerian Military has both failed to impress its citizens in its inability to tackle foreign terrorists and its steep involvement with financial corruption cases on some of its officers.

Merits of Military Intervention
1. Establishment of Democracy and Rule of Law: Some valid arguements have been made that countries who forcefully change their leaders through violence and weapons and fear are illegitimate and trample upon the basic rights of its citizens expression of freedom and rule of law.
2. Stability and Order: Stability and order leads to economic growth and progress. In a place of chaos and disorder the reverse is the case. Nigeria as well as Ecowas would strongly consider an invasion for stability and order.
3. Security: Nigeria could make a very valid case case of ensuring the security of not just its democratic institutions againsts the spread of retrogressive military takeover of power but that of West Africa and Africa as a whole. The invasion would show that coup isn't worth the risk if you have a higher authority to answer to.
4. Respect and Global Position: If the military intervention by Nigeria and Ecowas is successful, it could improve Nigeria's National Standing on the global scene as a force to be reckoned with expecially in its ability to guide other countries.
5. Containment of Terror: If a military intervention is done early when the coup junta hasn't been solidified, some might argue that it would be quicker to contain the terror and ensuing chaos by armed forces who might choose to spread violence later down the line in its efforts to enforce its rules on its citizens.
6. Economic Advantage/Foreign Investment: It may be possible to make the position that no international investor would want to come to a region or nation or territory where rule through the barrel of a gun and not peace and democracy through choice would stay. Africa is a blessed continent but impoverished by the needs of the few over the many.

The question on ECOWAS military intervention comes often down to to whether Democracy is or is not the best system of government for Africa and what the cost of democracy is.

Do you support the military intervention or not? I'd like to hear your views

K