“Let no one be in doubt that the brave forces of West Africa, both the military and the civilian components, are ready to answer the call of duty if all else fails,” the statement reads.
On Friday, West African military leaders met in Ghana for a second day of preparations for a potential armed intervention in Niger following the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum there by coup.
Following the overthrow and detention of Bazoum by generals last month, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has decided to mobilise a “standby force” as a last resort to restore democracy in Niger.
In order to finalise the specifics of a future military action to reinstate Bazoum should ongoing talks with the coup leaders fail, ECOWAS defence chiefs were meeting in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
Abdel-Fatau Musah, an ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs and security, said the meeting on Thursday, “Let no one be in doubt that if everything else fails, the valiant forces of West Africa, both the military and the civilian components, are ready to answer the call of duty.”
“In the meantime, we are still giving diplomacy a chance, and the junta has the initiative.”
The two-day Accra gathering will come to an end on Friday at a closing ceremony at 1600 GMT when the defence chiefs are anticipated to make any further announcements.
With “Grave Consequences,”
Since the July 26 coup, Bazoum has been kept in custody with his family at the president’s official residence, raising concerns about his treatment. His election in 2021 marked a turning point in the tumultuous history of Niger.
According to an EU official, ECOWAS head and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu warned Niamey of “grave consequences” if the new administration permits Bazoum’s health to deteriorate while he is under house arrest.
Tinabu stated: “President Bazoum’s detention conditions are deteriorating” in a phone call to EU chairman Charles Michel.
“Any further decline in his state of wellbeing will have serious ramifications.”
Michel reiterated the “full support and backing of ECOWAS’ decisions, as well as firm condemnation of the unacceptable coup de force in Niger” on behalf of the European Union.
Following Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea as the other three West African countries to undergo a coup since 2020, ECOWAS officials claim they must take action.
As jihadist insurgencies affiliated to al Qaeda and the Islamic State gain strength in the Sahel region, dissatisfaction with the resulting violence has contributed to the military takeovers.
Military Dangerous
Analysts claim that any engagement would be politically and militarily dangerous, especially for regional powerhouse Nigeria, and that the specifics of the Niger operation have not yet been made public.
Leaders in Nigeria’s north have issued warnings about violence spreading from Niger across the border in the event of an intervention because the country is already battling to handle violence at home from various armed groups.
Since 1990, ECOWAS forces have intervened in various crises, such as the Liberian and Sierra Leonean civil wars. Nigeria, Benin, and Ivory Coast are anticipated to send troops to assist with a mission in Niger.
The coup leaders in Niger have defiantly threatened to accuse Bazoum of treason and have cautioned against any military strikes. But they’ve also stated that they’re willing to discuss.
A military involvement in Niger would be considered as a declaration of war against the military-run governments in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, according to those countries.
The United States and Russia have pushed for a diplomatic resolution to the problem.
In addition to the aid initiatives being discontinued by France, Germany, and the United States, ECOWAS has already imposed economic and financial sanctions on Niger.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock reportedly spoke with her French and US counterparts about the need for the EU to impose sanctions on the coup leaders.
Volker Turk, the head of the UN’s human rights office, criticised the generals who took over on “a whim,” further destabilising Niger and trapping thousands of refugees.
“The very notion of freedoms in Niger is at stake,” he declared in a statement. “Gun rule has no place in the modern world.”
AFP
