As the deadline extended to reinstate ousted Niger President Mohamed Bazoum draws close on Sunday, the military chiefs of West African nations finalised a military intervention plan and urged the troops to be ready if the coup leaders fail to agree to their demands.
The defence chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) — excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger —gathered in Abuja, Nigeria, on Friday to discuss several measures.
Under the plan, the final decision on the modalities of the intervention has been left with the political leaders to decide, Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, said.
“All the elements that will go into any eventual intervention have been worked out here, including the resources needed, the how and when we are going deploy the force,” he said at the close of a three-day meeting in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, reports Reuters news agency.
Musa did not say if the ECOWAS would deploy troops to the coup-hit country, but he reiterated their earlier demand to reinstate Bazoum in the coming days or “we will make them handover to the civilian authorities.”
Niger coup: Ecowas threatens use of force on coup leaders
Nigerian chief of defence staff has asked the regional military chiefs to follow “a sense of urgency” and allocate the necessary resources as they had agreed.
“ECOWAS will not be used for coups. Democracy is what we stand for and democracy is what we will sustain,” Nigerian defence chief Christopher Musa said.
He called for action to also address security lapses in West Africa, saying the latest mutiny highlights “the fragility of our region.”
The extreme step by ECOWAS was taken after its efforts to find an amical solution through the diplomatic route didn’t take off.
Reuters news agency, quoting sources, reported that a delegation was sent to Niger capital Niamey on Thursday seeking an “amicable resolution”, but they were rebuffed and did not stay long.
“We want diplomacy to work, and we want this message clearly transmitted to them that we are giving them every opportunity to reverse what they have done,” Musah said.
The military junta had already asserted that it would fight back against any interference in their internal matters.
General Abdourahamane Tiani—the 59-year-old coup leader who served as battalion commander for ECOWAS forces during conflicts in Ivory Coast in 2003—has already received support from Mali and Burkina Faso.
The junta has cited persistent insecurity as its main justification for seizing power.
(With inputs from agencies)
