2023-08-15 12:38:12
Military council leaders in Niamey, Niger on August 6. STRINGER / REUTERS
The Chiefs of Staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will meet Thursday August 17 and Friday August 18 in Ghana to discuss a possible military intervention in Niger, Agence France-Presse has learned. (AFP) on Tuesday from regional military and political sources.
This meeting which was initially to be held on Saturday had been postponed. It will finally take place a week after the decision taken by ECOWAS leaders to deploy the “standby force” of the organization to reinstate Mohamed Bazoum, the president of Niger overthrown by a military coup on July 26.
While several countries have said they are ready to send their army to Niger, such as Côte d’Ivoire, ECOWAS says it wants to give priority “diplomatic way”. The idea of a military intervention divides: political, religious and civil society voices are thus raised in northern Nigeria, who fear serious consequences in their country and in the Sahel region devastated by jihadist violence.
Threats of prosecution for “high treason”
After refusing several mediations from ECOWAS, the Nigerian military regime welcomed a delegation of Nigerian religious leaders on Saturday. Following this meeting, the Prime Minister appointed by the military, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, highlighted ” A big interest “ from Niger to ” preserve “ a “significant and historic relationship” with Nigeria and ECOWAS.
But the regime is blowing hot and cold, announcing now that it wants ” pursue “ ousted President Mohamed Bazoum for ” high treason “. An approach which, for ECOWAS, “constitutes a new form of provocation and contradicts the desire attributed to the military authorities of the Republic of Niger to restore constitutional order by peaceful means”.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Putsch in Niger: “We are ready to go to war”, threatens a minister of President Bazoum
“We are extremely dismayed by reports that it adds a notch to the unjust detention of President Bazoum”had for its part reacted the State Department in Washington, estimating that this “No [contribuerait] certainly not to a peaceful resolution of this crisis”.
The United States was with France a major partner of Niger before the coup. The two countries are deploying some 2,600 soldiers there in the fight against the jihadist groups which have been undermining this country for years and, beyond, a large part of the Sahel.
#ECOWAS #Chiefs #Staff #meeting #Thursday #Friday #Ghana