Defence Chiefs of member states of the Economic Community of West Africa have risen from their meeting in Ghana saying that they are ready to flush out the junta in Niger if they fail to yield to diplomatic overtures.
“Let no one be in doubt that if everything else fails, the valiant forces of West Africa…are ready to answer to the call of duty,” ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah said.
“By all means available, constitutional order will be restored in the country,” he told assembled defence chiefs from member countries, listing past ECOWAS deployments in Gambia, Liberia and elsewhere as examples of readiness. This follows earlier declaration by the ECOWAS Heads of states that a stand by force would be made available to checkmate the coup plotters in Niger. NPO Reports that soldiers had ousted President Mohammed Bazoum four weeks ago putting him under house arrest. The military leaders had gone ahead form government appointing an Economist the country’s new Prime Minister.
Reuters reports that Niger has strategic importance beyond West Africa because of its role as a hub for foreign troops involved in the fight against Islamist insurgents in the Sahel region and its uranium and oil reserves.
Western countries fear the junta could follow the lead of neighbouring Mali, where the military government threw out French troops and instead invited in mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group, which has welcomed the coup in Niger.