New diplomatic failure in Niger. The idea of ??a transition of up to three years, launched this weekend by the military who took power in the country, was rejected by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). three-year transition period is unacceptable,” said Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security.
“We want constitutional order to be restored as soon as possible,” he added in an interview with Al-Jazeera, reaffirming the regional organization’s inflexible stance since the July 26 coup.
On Saturday evening, when an ECOWAS delegation was in Niamey to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, Niger’s new strongman, General Abdourahamane Tiani, announced that he was considering a transition of “three years” maximum, before handing over power to civilians. An unthinkable idea for ECOWAS, which has been insisting since the coup that the overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum must be released and reinstated in power.
And if the West African organization explores the diplomatic way to achieve this objective, it always agitates the threat of the use of force. On Friday, after a meeting of his chiefs of staff in Accra, Mr. Musah said that “the day of the intervention” was fixed as well as “the strategic objectives, the necessary equipment and the commitment of the member states “. “If an aggression were to be undertaken against us, it will not be the walk in the park that some people believe in,” General Tiani replied.
The positions of the two camps therefore seem tense, despite the weekend mediation which enabled ECOWAS emissaries to meet with General Tiani, then the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
The new regime can however count on the support of certain West African countries such as Mali or Burkina Faso, also led by soldiers and suspended by ECOWAS, which quickly showed their solidarity with Niamey. Some 300 trucks loaded with food arrived in the Nigerien capital on Monday from neighboring Burkina, as Niger suffers from heavy economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS since the coup.
On Sunday, demonstrations in support of the military took place in the capital Niamey and in the major northern city, Agadez. As often during these support movements, slogans hostile to ECOWAS and Western powers – in particular France – were chanted. “Stop the military intervention”, could also be read on signs held up by the thousands of demonstrators gathered on the Place de la Concertation in Niamey.
In Agadez, several hundred demonstrators “demanded the departure of all foreign military bases”, including the American base at the city’s airport.
France and the United States are deploying 1,500 and 1,100 soldiers respectively to Niger for the anti-jihadist fight in this Sahelian country regularly bereaved by attacks from armed groups linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. This violence has not ceased with the coup: several attacks have taken place since July 26, particularly in western Niger near Burkina Faso and Mali, also confronted by the same armed groups.
Last Tuesday, at least 17 soldiers were killed in an attack near Burkina Faso, the deadliest since the coup. On Monday, UNICEF expressed alarm at the humanitarian situation in Niger, estimating that more than two million children were “in need of help”, a figure worsened by the ongoing crisis. According to the UN organization, these figures may increase “if food prices continue to rise and an economic downturn hits families, households and incomes”.
