The West African army chiefs of staff began their meeting on Thursday August 17 in Ghana to discuss a possible armed intervention in Niger after the military-led coup, against which Berlin has called for European sanctions. .

“Democracy is what we stand for and support,” Nigeria’s Chief of Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, said at the opening of the meeting in Accra between military leaders of the countries of the Community. economy of West African States (ECOWAS).

If the option of an armed operation remains on the table, ECOWAS still seems to favor the path of dialogue with the military regime which overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and placed General Abdourahamane Tiani at the head of the country. “The purpose of our meeting is not simply to react to events but to proactively chart a path that leads to peace and supports stability,” General Gwabin Musa continued.

The crucial meeting comes two days after a deadly attack in southwestern Niger by suspected jihadists killed at least seventeen Nigerien soldiers and injured twenty others.

Berlin wants sanctions

On the diplomatic front, Germany raised its voice on Thursday by calling on the European Union to take “sanctions” against the perpetrators of the coup in Niger, a country crucial to supplying the European continent with uranium.

Currently on a visit to Nigeria, German Cooperation Minister Svenja Schulze has been leading “discussions in Abuja to see how best to support ECOWAS efforts,” the ministry said.

The West African organization has already taken retaliatory measures against the perpetrators of this coup which “greatly affects Niger’s supply of vital food and medical supplies”, the World Food Program warned on Wednesday.

The new regime seeks allies in the region

Calls for a peaceful resolution to this crisis have multiplied in recent days, including among some Western partners. The United States thus announced on Wednesday that a new ambassador, Kathleen FitzGibbon, would soon settle in Niamey. “This is not a sign of a change in US policy but of their continued involvement” to find a diplomatic solution, however, said a spokesperson for the State Department.

At the same time, the new Nigerien regime is also looking for allies in the region. On Tuesday, the military-appointed prime minister in Niamey, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, traveled to N’Djamena, where he was received by Chad’s transitional president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno.

For the first time, he said that his country was “in a process of transition”, without however specifying the duration, before possible elections for a return to constitutional order.

Chad, a major military power in the Sahel region, announced last week that it would not participate in any military intervention alongside ECOWAS, to which it does not belong.

Neighboring Mali and Burkina, also led by soldiers who came to power through coups in 2020 and 2022, quickly showed their solidarity with the generals in Niamey.

Promise of “immediate response” to any armed intervention

The latter remain inflexible for the time being and have been holding deposed President Mohamed Bazoum prisoner since July 26, whom they intend to prosecute for “high treason”. They believe that a military operation against their country would be an “illegal and senseless aggression” and have promised an “immediate response” to any armed intervention.

The Nigerien army has been mobilized for years in the fight against the jihadists, particularly in the immense region of Tillabéri, located in the so-called “three borders” zone between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, where the attack of Tuesday took place.

Before the coup, France, a former colonial power, which has 1,500 soldiers in Niger, actively participated with the Nigerien army in the fight against these jihadist groups. She has since become one of the privileged targets of the new regime in Niamey, which accuses her of influencing the decisions of ECOWAS.