2023-08-04 20:59:32
Nigerian president calls on Senate to support military intervention in neighboring Niger
MADRID, 4 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has concluded this Friday the meeting of the chiefs of staff of the organization and has outlined the details of a plan for a possible military intervention in Niger.
The organization’s Commissioner for Political Affairs and Security, Abdelfatá Musá, assured this Friday at the end of the meeting that “all the elements” of this possible intervention have been worked on in these two days, from the deployment of forces to the necessary resources for said operation.
However, the body has decided that it will not reveal when and where it will intervene in Nigerien territory, since it will be a decision that will have to be made by the heads of state, as reported by Radio France Internationale through correspondent Serge Daniel.
“We must intensify our diplomatic efforts to engage with all relevant stakeholders. Dialogue and negotiation must be at the forefront of our approach to resolving the crisis in the Republic of Niger,” Musa said.
In this sense, he has once again reiterated that they are giving the Niger military junta opportunities, since “a peaceful resolution” of the conflict is preferable and “the military option is the last one on the table”, although they are not ruled out ” all eventualities”, has collected the newspaper ‘Daily Trust’.
“The coup in the Republic of Niger represents a flagrant disregard for these fundamental principles that underpin our regional integration and stability. We must unequivocally condemn such actions and demonstrate our unwavering commitment to democracy,” he concluded.
This comes after an ECOWAS delegation led by former Nigerian President Abdulsalami Abubakar met Thursday night at Niamey’s Diori Hamani airport with a junta delegation led by Brigadier General Salaou Barmou, according to the news portal Le Sahel.
The agency’s envoys, including the Sultan of Sokoto in Nigeria, Muhammadu Saadu Abubakar, one of the region’s most influential and respected religious leaders, did not leave the airport, but they did discuss for hours with junta representatives the situation in the country.
The ECOWAS delegation was scheduled to meet with the head of the Presidential Guard, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, as well as with the country’s now ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, although the delegation eventually left Niamey without complying with the rest of your schedule.
On the other hand, the president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, who currently chairs the body, has asked in a letter sent to the president of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, that the Chamber support “the deployment of military and personnel” for an intervention in the neighboring Niger, as reported by the newspaper ‘Punch’.
Last week, a group of military officers ousted Bazoum. Niger has experienced four other — now five — coups since it gained independence from France in 1960, as well as several failed attempts, the last of which was in 2021, days before the now-ousted president took office.
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