In a tense context following the coup d’etat in Niger, a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is currently in Niamey to “negotiate” with the putschists, l one of the ECOWAS officials.
“The chairman of the ECOWAS commission would have liked to be here, but as we speak he is in Niger as part of a high-level delegation led by the former head of state of Nigeria. , General Abdulsalami Abubakar, with a view to negotiating,” said ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah.
The chiefs of staff of the member countries of the West African intergovernmental organization, who have not ruled out the use of force against the putschists, are meeting until Friday in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, while an emissary from the Nigerian junta, General Salifou Mody, has arrived in Mali. A military intervention in Niger would be “the last option” considered by ECOWAS to restore constitutional order, but we must “prepare for this eventuality”, added Abdel-Fatau Musah.
A week to restore the former president
ECOWAS, chaired by Nigerian Head of State Bola Tinubu, does not rule out the use of force and has given a week – until Sunday – to the putschists to restore former President Mohamed Bazoum, overthrown on July 26 by members of his presidential guard. “We stand for democracy and that must continue. We are ready and, as soon as we receive the order to intervene, we will do so,” Nigerian army chief Christopher Musa told RFI on Monday.
In line with the sanctions taken by ECOWAS, Nigeria has cut off its electricity supply to Niger, which is 70% dependent on this neighbor for energy.
Mali and Burkina Faso, military-ruled neighbors of Niger after coups in 2020 and 2022, support the junta and have claimed that any armed intervention would be considered “a declaration of war” and lead to their withdrawal from ECOWAS .
The junta also accused France, a former colonial power, of wanting to “intervene militarily” on Monday, which Paris strongly denied.
Italy and France have repatriated some of their nationals
For the time being, Paris and Rome are evacuating their nationals and foreigners who wish. By midday, more than 500 people had been evacuated, including 312 French people, on board two of the four planes planned by France. The repatriation must be completed during the day on the French side.
“The evacuation operations from Niger led by France are coming to an end,” French authorities said in a message to the approximately 1,200 French people registered in Niger. A third plane was to take off and a fourth was being boarded, according to the French army. This is the first mass evacuation organized by France in the Sahel where coups have multiplied since 2020. Paris justified the evacuation by the “violence that took place” against its embassy on Sunday during a demonstration hostile to France, and by “closing the airspace”. The evacuation of some 1,500 French soldiers stationed in Niger is however “not on the agenda”, according to the general staff of the French armies.
Italy evacuated 68 expatriates to Rome. According to the ANSA agency, 36 Italians and 21 Americans are part of it. Just under 500 Italian nationals reside in Niger, most of whom are military personnel. And Spain told AFP that it is working to evacuate its nationals, who are just over 70.
On the other hand, the United States has not launched an operation of this type and does not speak of a “coup d’etat”, believing that there is still a “small window” for diplomacy and the restoration of President Bazoum. in his duties. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited Niamey in March, assured Mr. Bazoum by telephone of the “unwavering support of the United States” which rejects “attempts to overthrow the constitutional order”.
The M62 movement, at the initiative of a pro-putschist demonstration, on Tuesday denounced the evacuation organized by France, wishing the suspension of some of its media and calling for a “peaceful rally every day” near the airport, ” until the final departure of the foreign forces” present in the country.
For the time being “in Niamey, there are no particular tensions in town, no particular stress, the population is going about their business”, described a passenger who worked for the EU in Niger on his arrival in Paris. . “At one point, there was a feeling of insecurity, we knew that everything could change”, testified, relieved, Raïssa Kelembho, returned from Niger with her two boys and whose husband remained in Niger to work.
