ECOWAS defense chiefs prepare possible intervention plan in Niger
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ECOWAS says it will not disclose to Niger's coup leaders the date and location of a possible strike.
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ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah (L), the Head of State -Nigeria's Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa (C), and Ghana's Chief of Defense Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama (R), in Abuja, Nigeria, on August 2, 2023 (AFP)
Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, revealed on Friday that West African defense chiefs have made a plan for a possible military intervention in Niger, in case coup leaders refuse to yield to ECOWAS' demands.
On July 26, the Nigerien presidential guard overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. The guard's commander, Abdourahmane Tchiani, proclaimed himself the country's new leader.
Following a three-day meeting regional meeting in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Musah indicated that ECOWAS will not disclose to Niger's coup leaders the date and location of a possible strike, adding that the decision will be taken by the heads of state.
"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 pointed out.
The Western-backed regional bloc has threatened to intervene militarily in Niger if former President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated by Sunday.
ECOWAS gave Niger's coup leaders one week to reinstate Bazoum or threatened to use "all measures", including military, to "restore order" in the African nation.
ECOWAS suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze the assets of the coup leaders, their families, and supporters, and imposed a ban on commercial flights to and from the country.
On Thursday, an ECOWAS official announced that "(the) military option is the very last option on the table, the last resort, but we have to prepare for the eventuality."
ECOWAS military chiefs have met to discuss options for military intervention in Niger. The goal of the meeting reportedly is to outline a plan for the intervention, its strategy, logistical aspects, and timetable.
Coup leaders in Niger have warned against any armed intervention in their country, stressing that they will "resolutely defend their homeland."
The interim governments of Mali and Burkina Faso also warned that any military intervention against Niger would be considered a declaration of war against them.
ECOWAS dispatched a mission to Niger on Thursday in search of an "amicable resolution", but Reuters cited an informed source as saying that the meeting with coup leaders generated no headway.
Originally, the ECOWAS bloc consisted of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
But many countries have witnessed coups causing them to defect from the Western-sponsored bloc, the latest of which is Niger.
