Niger military warn against military intervention ahead of ECOWAS

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Jul 2023 10:35

Heads of state will convene in Nigeria to deliberate on additional moves to pressure army leaders to restore constitutional order.

Colonel Amadou Abdramane in his recent address. (ٍScreengrab)

Military leaders in Niger have warned against any armed intervention in their country, stressing that they will "resolutely defend their homeland."

These warnings come in conjunction with the preparation of West African leaders to meet in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Sunday, during an emergency summit to decide on the necessary measures to pressure the army to restore "constitutional order."

Leaders of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union can suspend Niger from the two organizations, exclude the country from the regional central bank and financial market, and close borders.

A statement issued by the Chadian president's office on Saturday said that Chad - the eastern neighbor of Niger, which is not a member of the two regional organizations - had received an invitation to attend the ECOWAS summit.

Ahead of the Sunday summit, Niger's military officials warned against any military intervention in a statement read on Niger national television on Saturday night.

"The objective of the (ECOWAS) meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are non-members of ECOWAS, and certain Western countries," junta spokesman Colonel Amadou Abdramane said.

"We want to once more remind ECOWAS or any other adventurer, of our firm determination to defend our homeland," he said.

On Saturday night, the junta published a second statement, encouraging citizens in the capital to head to the streets at 7 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) to oppose ECOWAS and show support for the new military administration.

Yesterday, Saturday, the French Foreign Ministry announced that France was suspending "all its activities to provide development assistance and budget support" to Niger after the military coup against President Mohamed Bazoum.

The French newspaper "Le Figaro" reported on Saturday that the crisis in Niger raises French concerns about its supplies of uranium from the African country.

Early this year, the French RFI website reported that the town of Arlit, in northern Niger, was left submerged in 20 million tons of radioactive waste after a uranium mine run by the French company Orano was closed.

It is noteworthy that, after the withdrawal of its forces from Mali, Paris focused its new strategy towards Africa on Niger, with the aim of implementing its geopolitical goals in West Africa.

Niger ranks fourth in the world in uranium production and covers 35% of France's needs for this material, and its nuclear plants help generate 70% of the electricity.

The country also includes French military bases and about 1,500 French soldiers. Paris had ended Operation Barkhane, withdrew its forces from Mali under pressure from the military council in Bamako, and transferred them to Niger.