Niger Mediation: Military Chiefs Enact A Full “Backup Force” If All Else Fails

Abdel-Fatau Musah, an ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs and security

West African military chiefs had a crunch meeting in Ghana on Friday August 18 amidst the Niger stalemate.

According to them, they are prepared for a furnished intervention in Niger after a coup expelled President Mohamed Bazoum last month. However, a diplomatic mission was conceivable over the course of the end of the week to keep talks open.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has agreed to activate a “standby force” as a last resort to restore democracy in Niger after generals toppled and detained Bazoum on July 26.

ECOWAS defence chiefs met this week in the Ghanaian capital Accra to find a potential solution through military operation to restore Bazoum if ongoing negotiations with coup leaders fail.

“We are ready to go any time the order is given,” said Abdel-Fatau Musah, an ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs and security. “The D-Day is also decided.”

However, the leaders also say they actually preferred dialogue, and that ECOWAS could send a conciliatory mission to Niger on Saturday (August 19), Musah said.

“Tomorrow there is the possibility of an ECOWAS mission going into Niger to continue to pursue the peaceful path to restoration of constitutional order,” he added.

“We can stand down the military option; it is not our preferred option. But we are obliged to do it because of the intransigence of the regime and the obstacles they’ve been putting in the way of a negotiated settlement,” Musah said.

ECOWAS leaders say they need to act after Niger turned into the fourth West African country starting around 2020 to experience an overthrow, following Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

The Sahel region is struggling with growing jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State and frustration over the violence has in part prompted the military takeovers.

ECOWAS troops have mediated in other crises in 1990, including civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Ivory Coast, Benin and Nigeria are supposed to dispatch troops to a Niger mission.

Why Africa Is Broke Compared To The Western World

Bazoum, whose 2021 political decision was a milestone in Niger’s grieved history, has been held with his family at the president’s official home since the July 26 coup, with growing international concern over his conditions in detention.

ECOWAS chair and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Friday August 18 threatened Niamey with “grave consequences” if the new regime allows Bazoum’s health to worsen under house arrest, an EU official said.

During a call to EU chief Charles Michel, Tinubu noted: “President Bazoum’s detention conditions are deteriorating.”

“Any further deterioration to his well-being status will have grave consequences.”

Michel had renewed the European Union’s “full support and backing of ECOWAS’ decisions, as well as firm condemnation of the unacceptable coup de force in Niger”.

Analysts and locals say the coup was triggered by an internal struggle between Bazoum and the head of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who says he’s now in charge.

From that point forward, the junta has been shoring up support among the population, exploiting grievances toward Niger’s former colonial ruler, France, and silencing opposers.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *