Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that the present political crisis in Mali could have a spill over effect in Nigeria and other West African countries.
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali has withstood weeks of protest by the opposition and civil society groups to step down from office.
The protesters say they are not happy with the way President Keita has handled the economy as well as attacks by Islamist groups in the country.
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According to Obasanjo, who wrote about the crisis on Thursday, the situation in Mali poses a serious security risk to neighboring countries like Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and Nigeria.
The former Nigerian President says he is the raising the alarm because the current protests in Mali is different others because it has the support of ordinary people.
“The current political turmoil in Mali is of grave concern considering the multidimensional impact of an escalation of the political impasse on about 19 million citizens and what a destabilized Mali will mean to West Africa.
“The consequences will reverberate across the whole West Africa region, with the safety and security of Senegal, Burkina Faso and Niger directly at risk. If those countries stumble, the effects will ripple across coastal states such as Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Guinea. It will reverberate even to Nigeria.”
Obasanjo wrote in the Africa Report.
He said further that the crisis must be curtailed by reaching an agreement that will not compromise democracy, security and human rights.