Tensions are rising in Niger with the arrival of a Sunday deadline set by a coalition of West African nations for the new military junta in the country to step down or face possible force.
Niger is the latest country in West Africa where the army has seized control after soldiers staged a military takeover on July 26.
A major escalation could be on the cards, as the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) ultimatum to coup leaders to release and reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum expires.
On Friday, defense chiefs from the West African nations finalized an intervention plan and urged militaries to ready resources after negotiations with the junta stalled, the Associated Press reported.
“All the elements that would go into any eventual intervention have been brought out here and been refined, including the timing, the resources needed and the how and where and when we are going to deploy such a force,” said Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, after a meeting between defense chiefs from ECOWAS countries excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger.
However, Musah did not say whether ECOWAS would deploy force at the end of the deadline given to the junta.
Protesters hold placards denouncing Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) during a demonstration on independence day in Niamey on August 3, 2023. People backing the coup in Niger gathered on August 3, 2023 for…
Protesters hold placards denouncing Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) during a demonstration on independence day in Niamey on August 3, 2023. People backing the coup in Niger gathered on August 3, 2023 for a mass rally in the capital Niamey with some brandishing giant Russian flags.
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A confrontation could draw in the United States and Russia, as well as former colonizer France which has maintained influence in the country.
“ECOWAS have publicly indicated that military intervention is a last resort. We are focused on finding a diplomatic solution and are in close contact with ECOWAS leadership,” a U.S. National Security Council spokesperson told Newsweek on Sunday.
Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer traveled to Gabon and Nigeria on August 2, the spokesperson said.
Finer “met with President Tinubu and other senior Nigerian officials to discuss regional security issues, including recent developments in Niger, and constructively engage on next steps to preserve Niger’s hard-earned democracy,” the spokesperson added. “At the end of the day, we all want a peaceful end to this crisis and the preservation of the democratically-elected government.”
Newsweek has contacted ECOWAS, the White House and the Multinational Joint Task Force, of which Niger’s military is a member, for comment via email.
One of the coup leaders, Major General Salifou Modi, requested help from Russian mercenary group Wagner during a visit to neighboring Mali as the deadline to release Bazoum neared, journalist Wassim Nasr told the AP.
Colin P. Clarke, director of research at The Soufan Group who has specialized in counterterrorism research, previously told Newsweek of the consequences should tensions in Niger flare up into a “regional conflagration.”
“This could take on the dimensions of a regional proxy war, with Western countries supporting ECOWAS and Russia supporting Niger—and Burkina Faso and Mali, if they joined in—with muscle from the Wagner Group,” Clarke said.
“Civilians would be caught in the crossfire and it would vastly increase the likelihood of a humanitarian disaster, while also driving migration throughout the region, putting further stress on governments already overwhelmed by climate change and spillover violence.”
Writing “as a hostage” in an opinion piece published in The Washington Post on Thursday, Bazoum pleaded for help from the U.S. and other nations.
“Niger is under attack from a military junta that is trying to overthrow our democracy, and I am just one of hundreds of citizens who have been arbitrarily and illegally imprisoned,” he wrote.
Bazoum added that in Africa’s “troubled Sahel region, Niger stands as the last bastion of respect for human rights amid the authoritarian movements that have overtaken some of our neighbors. While this coup attempt is a tragedy for Nigeriens, its success would have devastating consequences far beyond our borders.”
In a statement on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the U.S. will “continue to review our foreign assistance and cooperation as the situation on the ground evolves consistent with our policy objectives and legal restrictions.”
He added: “We remain committed to supporting the people of Niger to help them preserve their hard-earned democracy and we reiterate our call for the immediate restoration of Niger’s democratically-elected government.” Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department for further comment via email.
President Joe Biden issued a statement on Thursday as Niger marked the 63rd anniversary of its independence, saying the U.S. “stands with the people of Niger to honor our decades-long partnership rooted in shared democratic values and support for civilian-led governance.”
Biden said: “I call for President Bazoum and his family to be immediately released, and for the preservation of Niger’s hard-earned democracy.”
Update 8/6/23, 10:40 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to add comments from a National Security Council spokesperson.
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Publish date : 2023-08-06 07:00:00
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