The majority of ECOWAS countries are ready for military intervention in Niger

West African countries (all but one) are ready to put together a force to intervene in Niger.

According to the organization, the majority of ECOWAS countries in West Africa are ready for military intervention in Niger in order to restore constitutional order there. The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Abdelfatou Musa, announced on Thursday in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, that all member states under a military government and Cape Verde, except member states, are ready to deploy a reaction force that could intervene in Niger if necessary.

In Accra, the military leaders of the ECOWAS countries will discuss how to proceed in Niger after the military coup until Friday.

Moussa accused the putschists in Niger of playing “cat and mouse” with the ECOWAS. He criticized the army’s refusal to meet envoys from the organization. Instead, the military council is constantly searching for a justification for the July 26 coup. ECOWAS includes 15 West African countries, including Niger itself, and members of the military junta are both led by Mali and Burkina Faso, and both have already indicated their support for the putschists in Niger. So far, ECOWAS has maintained that it wants to do everything it can to find a diplomatic solution.

Germany wants to initiate sanctions in the European Union

German Foreign Minister Analina Berbock announced that the European Union will impose sanctions on the putschists in Niger. “Germany supports African efforts to resolve the crisis in Niger,” the green politician said on News Service X, previously Twitter. “Our goal is to restore constitutional order.” To this end, I have spoken with Moussa as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the phone in the past few days.

Like the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations, ECOWAS is calling for the immediate release of the legitimate Nigerian President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been under house arrest since the coup. But the putschists announced on Sunday that they wanted to indict Bazoum for high treason. ECOWAS reacted angrily and declared that this was a provocation by the coup leaders, contradicting the desire for a peaceful solution to the crisis. Accordingly, the meeting of military leaders now serves the purpose of preparing for a military operation.

Worry about further destabilization of the region

The 2021 Bazoum elections marked the first democratic transfer of power in Niger, which has seen the military phase of four coups since independence from France in 1960. German soldiers are also currently stationed in Niger to ensure stability as part of the EU mission. A possible military operation by ECOWAS in Niger has raised fears of further destabilization in the Sahel region. (APA/Reuters)