Military intervention in Niger 'last resort': ECOWAS
3 Min Read
This comes after high-level negotiations with the new military junta in Niger on the reinstatement of President Mohamad Bazoum.
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The West African group Ecowas under Nigeria President Bola Tinubu, in blue, met in Abuja last Sunday and issued a stern threat to the Niger coup leaders. (AP)
At a meeting of ECOWAS military chiefs held in the Nigerian capital Abuja today, a senior ECOWAS official, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said on Wednesday that the West African bloc has affirmed its position that military intervention in Niger to reinstate the country's President Mohamad Bazoum would constitute a "last resort", noting that negotiations are currently being held with the military junta.
"(The) military option is the very last option on the table, the last resort, but we have to prepare for the eventuality," said the official.
"The ECOWAS Commission President would have loved to be here, but as we speak, they are in Niger as part of a high-level delegation led by former Head of State of Nigeria General Abdulsalami Abubakar to negotiate," he added.
General Abubakar reportedly arrived earlier today to hold talks with the junta, Musah further noted.
Read more: Niger reopens land borders with neighboring nations after coup
The extraordinary meeting of the Committee of Chiefs of Defense Staff of ECOWAS takes place from August 2-4.
During today's meeting, the leaders discussed options for military intervention in Niger.
A source familiar with the talks told reporters that the goal of the meeting is to outline a plan for the intervention, its strategy, logistical aspects, and timetable.
On Monday, the interim governments of Mali and Burkina Faso warned that any military intervention against Niger would be considered a declaration of war against them.
On Tuesday, the foreign ministry of France announced that the process of evacuating its citizens from Niger will begin, which was prompted by claimed attacks on the French embassy in the capital of Niamey.
It further offered to evacuate other European nationals after the French government held a ministerial meeting on Tuesday to decide on how to carry out the evacuation.
Niger sanctioned with electricity cuts
As part of the measures aimed at choking the military junta in Niger, neighboring country Nigeria has cut all its electricity supplies to Niger -- which accounts for 70% of Niger's electricity.
"Since yesterday, Nigeria has disconnected the high-voltage line transporting electricity to Niger," a source at Niger's power company Nigelec told AFP.
As part of regional "efforts" to reinstate Nigerien President Mohammad Bazoum, ECOWAS implemented a series of sanctioning measures, including suspending all financial aid to Niger, freezing the assets of the coup leaders, as well as those of their families and supporters, and imposing a ban on commercial flights to and from the country.
Read more: Two French evacuation flights from Niger land in Paris: France
