The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on Thursday it had ordered the mobilization of a “reserve force” to restore constitutional order in Niger after the deadline for uprisings to reinstate ousted President Mohamed expired on Sunday. Bazoum.
Hours earlier, two Western officials told The Associated Press that the Nigerien junta told a senior US diplomat that it would kill Bazoum if neighboring countries attempted any military intervention to restore his rule.
It was not clear when or where the ECOWAS force would deploy, nor how the threat against Bazoum might affect the decision to intervene. Conflict experts say it is likely to be made up of about 5,000 soldiers, led by Nigeria, and could be ready in a few weeks.
After the ECOWAS meeting -which is made up of 15 nations_, the president of the Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, announced that his country will participate in the operation, along with Nigeria and Benin.
“Ivory Coast will provide a battalion and has already made all the financial arrangements (…) We are determined to install Bazoum in his post. Our goal is peace and stability in the subregion,” the president said on state television.
Niger, an impoverished country of about 25 million people, was seen as one of Western nations’ last hopes for a partnership in fighting the jihadist violence linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State group that has ravaged the region. France and the United States have more than 2,500 troops deployed in Niger and, along with other European partners, have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to bolster their military.
The junta responsible for the coup, led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, has tapped into anti-French sentiment among the population to win their support, saying it can do a better job than Bazoum’s government in protecting his nation from jihadist violence.
In the capital, Niamey, the population said on Friday that ECOWAS does not know the reality of the country on the ground and should not intervene.
“It’s our problem, not yours. They don’t even know why the coup in Niger happened,” said Achirou Harouna Albassi, a Niamey resident, who said Bazoum was not complying with the will of the people.
Hundreds of people marched on the French military base in Niamey on Friday waving Russian flags and chanting “Down with France.” Many protesters were young, even children, and all chanted that France should leave the country.
For its part, the African Union on Friday expressed its strong support for the ECOWAS decision, calling on the junta to “immediately halt the escalation with the regional organization,” in addition to Bazoum’s immediate release. The AU is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss the situation in Niger.
Following the ECOWAS summit, the French foreign ministry said late Thursday that it supported “all the conclusions adopted.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington appreciated “ECOWAS’ determination to explore all options for a peaceful resolution of the crisis” and would hold the junta accountable for Bazoum’s safety, though he did not say whether The United States supports the military deployment.
___
Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, DC; Elaine Ganley in Paris and Toussaint N’Gotta in Abidjan, Ivory Coast contributed to this report.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
