With the backing of the US and France, African nations are getting ready to intervene in Niger

Historical past of ECOWAS navy interventions previous to involvement in Niger

The Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS) agreed on Thursday the “fast activation” of a regional power as a way to provoke “as quickly as doable” an intervention in Niger to revive the “constitutional order” after the latest coup, for which he instantly obtained the backing of the US and France, official sources reported.

Likewise, the US warned the de facto authorities that it’s going to maintain it accountable if one thing occurs to the deposed constitutional president, Mohamed Bazoum, after it emerged that the Nigerian navy authorities instructed a senior Washington official days in the past that they’d kill him if there was an intervention. military of African nations.

The member nations of ECOWAS gave “the go-ahead” for the intervention to start “as quickly as doable”, revealed the president of the Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, upon returning to his nation after the summit that the group held in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.

“The chiefs of employees (of the armed forces of ECOWAS member nations) will maintain different conferences to agree on the small print, however they’ve the approval of the heads of state for the operation to start as quickly as doable,” the president mentioned. .

Ouattara maintained that “the coup leaders can go away tomorrow (Friday) morning and there shall be no intervention; all the pieces is determined by them ”, and specified that his nation“ will type a battalion ”of between 850 and 1,100 troopers along with Nigeria and Benin.

Then again, he didn’t specify the date for the alleged incursion, nor the whole quantity nor the origin of the troops that may make it up, in line with the AFP information company.

“We don’t rule out any possibility, together with the usage of power; if we don’t do it, nobody will do it in our place”, mentioned the president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, accountable for the momentary presidency of ECOWAS, though he advocated in his speech to advertise dialogue and exhaust “all avenues ” diplomatic.

“The political disaster in Niger not solely represents a risk to the steadiness of the nation, but in addition has far-reaching implications for all the West African area,” Tinubu confused, in line with the Nigerian newspaper Punch, quoted by the Europa Press company. .

France, the previous colonial energy from which Niger gained independence in 1960, mentioned in a press release from its overseas ministry that it “helps all of the conclusions” of the ECOWAS summit, together with the potential of navy intervention.

Because the coup occurred, France has suspended navy cooperation agreements with Niger, the place it has troops deployed to fight jihadism.

America, which additionally has troopers deployed in Niger within the context of an anti-jihadist operation, additionally expressed its help “for the management and work of ECOWAS,” mentioned its Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

Then again, Blinken warned that Washington will maintain the heads of the navy regime in Niger accountable if one thing occurs to Bazoum, whom that they had held since final July 26, the day of the coup with which they deposed him.

“Now we have made it clear to navy leaders that we are going to maintain them accountable for Bazoum,” he mentioned.

On this means, Blinken gave credence to a model revealed this afternoon by the US media, in line with which the Nigerian de facto authorities instructed the Undersecretary of State, Victoria Nuland, final Monday, that they are going to kill Bazoum “if neighboring nations attempt to intervene.” militarily to revive him to energy.”

Nuland was in Niamey, the capital of Niger, on Monday and spoke with navy chiefs whom he mentioned he was unable to influence to revive constitutional order, admitting that he was not allowed to talk to Bazoum or the de facto president, Normal Abdourahamane Tiani.

Earlier, US tv CNN reported that the navy saved Bazoum in isolation and fed him solely dry rice and pasta.

The station added that in a collection of textual content messages the ousted president despatched to a buddy, he mentioned he had been “disadvantaged of all human contact since Friday,” with nobody offering him with meals or drugs.

The UN Secretary Normal, Antonio Guterres, expressed his deep concern over the unfavorable circumstances of his detention and once more referred to as for his launch.

The diplomat denounced in a press release “the deplorable residing situations during which President Bazoum and his household apparently stay.”

Someday after Nuland’s go to, a joint delegation from ECOWAS, the African Union and the UN tried to succeed in Niamey, as a way to speak with the de facto authorities, however they have been prevented from getting into Niger for causes of “safety ”.

Till now, the Nigerian navy junta has ignored all of the bloc’s calls to revive constitutional order or, no less than, to dialogue, and has even taken steps to consolidate itself, together with the appointment of senior officers.

Hours earlier than the summit, the navy multiplied the indicators of eager to strengthen its energy and introduced the formation of a brand new Govt with 20 ministers, which incorporates two generals in control of the Inside and Protection portfolios.

The junta had already this week appointed its prime minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zein.

Amongst its allies are the authorities of neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, additionally beneath de facto regimes put in after separate coups in 2022, who’ve already warned {that a} hypothetical navy intervention in Niger would imply a “declaration of battle” towards them as properly.

In a primary assembly instantly after the July 26 coup, ECOWAS had given the Nigerien navy seven days to reinstate Bazoum, however the brand new regime ignored the ultimatum, which expired at midnight final Sunday.