Defense Chiefs from West African nations finalized an intervention plan Friday in Abuja and urged militaries to ready resources after negotiations deadlocked with Niger’s military junta, which says it is severing military agreements with France, its former colonial ruler.
Nigerians Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa who read out the resolutions stressed the need for the establishment of a mechanism for tackling conflicts in the sub region.
It’s less than 48hrs to the 7 day ultimatum issued by ECOWAS for the junta in Niger to restore power or risk the use of force.
With two days remaining before a deadline set by the regional bloc to release and reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or face possible force, the junta announced that it was firing some of the previous government’s key ambassadors and warning citizens of the West African nation to watch for foreign armies and spies. In a plea published in a Washington Post opinion piece, Bazoum said, “I write this as a hostage” and urged the U.S. and partners to help.
The junta’s announcement late Thursday deepens the post-coup isolation for what had been the United States’ and allies’ last major security partner in the Sahel, the vast region south of the Sahara Desert that Islamic extremist groups have turned into the global center of terrorism.
Niger’s soldiers, who staged a mutiny July 26, face a Sunday deadline set by the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, whose envoys arrived Thursday for talks. But those discussions stalled, with the delegation unable to meet with the coup leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, or go into the capital, Niamey, according to a person with close knowledge of the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to comment.
President Bola Tinubu has sought the Senate’s support for military intervention against the junta, even though that might be a last resort
A military action against the junta in Niger could have sever consequences on the sub region, in the wake of escalating security challenges in the Sahel.
But the military chiefs resolved to establish a mechanism for combating conflicts in the region.
While the regional body and President Tinubu have sent emissaries to resolve the impasse, the junta in Niger appears to be stuck to it’s guns.
