Wars and rumours of wars
For more than 18 months the Russian-Ukrainian war is still raging.
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According to the United Nations (UN), six million Ukrainians had fled to neighbouring countries, resulting in what some commentators had described as one of the biggest refugee crises in modern times.
We, in Ghana, are bearing the brunt of this Russian-Ukrainian war; the government continues to refer to this conflict as part of the reasons for our economic woes.
The military takeover of the democratically elected regime of Niger is creating tension among the nation-states in the West African sub-region.
There are rumours of war as ECOWAS countries are in the process of deploying combined troops to Niger to restore the ousted Nigerien Leader, Mohammed Bazoum, to power.
What is Ghana's sovereign interest in participating in this adventure?
The first bullet has not been fired and we are feeling the adverse effects already.
Our women, who trade in onions and those in the onion value chain, are decrying the challenges they are faced with as the junta in Niger has ordered the closure of its land borders.
The bulk of our onion supply comes from Niger.
Listening to some of the traders and the drivers, who cart the product to Ghana on some media networks, it is obvious there will be an imminent shortage of the commodity in Ghana, which will lead to price hikes.
No one can reliably predict how long this intended war will last, just as some people thought it was going to be a walk-over for Russia in their war with Ukraine.
Should any aggression against Niger occur through the deployment of ECOWAS forces the citizens will suffer the consequences.
Since there has never been a good war or a bad peace, dialogue and diplomacy are the best options.
We encourage our leaders to follow this route in resolving the problem in Niger.
Rev Richard Cudjoe,
P. O. Box DT 1409,
Adenta, Accra.
E-mail: [email protected]