Niger: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that most of its member states are ready to participate in a standby force that is intended to intervene in Niger following a coup there. The defence chiefs of the 15-member regional bloc met in Accra as part of the latest efforts to overturn the removal of Niger’s President Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, who was deposed in a July 26 coup.
“All member states except those under military rule and Cape Verde are ready to participate in the standby force,” ECOWAS commissioner Mr. Abdel-Fatau Musah stated.
“Democracy is what we stand for, and it’s what we encourage. The focus of our gathering is not simply to react to events but to proactively chart a course that results in peace and promotes stability,” Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, commented at the start of the two-day meeting in Accra.
The meeting to discuss Niger’s crisis comes after an August 6 deadline for mutinous soldiers to reinstate Mr. Bazoum or face military intervention. The ousted President remains under house arrest with his wife and son in the capital, Niamey.
The bloc has long deliberated on the use of force, which it described as a “last resort,” for weeks due to several mediation teams it sent to Niamey and also due to a lack of consensus within its ranks.
Burkina Faso and Mali, which have experienced multiple coups since 2020, warned that any military intervention in Niger would be declared an act of war. Guinea, which is also under military rule and has condemned any external aggression, has refrained from making any other comments.
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