Niger: the ultimatum set by ECOWAS has come to an end, the country's airspace closed "in the face of the threat of intervention"

The soldiers who took power in Niamey announced, on Sunday evening August 6, the closure of Niger’s airspace, a few hours before the expiration of the ultimatum set by the Economic Community of African States of the West (ECOWAS) to restore the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, to his post.

“Faced with the threat of intervention which is becoming clearer from neighboring countries, the Nigerien airspace is closed from this day on Sunday (…) until further notice”, said a press release which specifies that “any attempted airspace violation” will result in “a vigorous and instantaneous response”.

In another press release, the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP, which took power) affirms that a “pre-deployment for the preparation of the intervention has been initiated in two countries of Central Africa”, without specifying which. “Any state involved will be considered co-belligerent,” he adds.

Niger’s land and air borders with five neighboring countries were reopened on August 2, nearly a week after they were closed during the July 26 coup that overthrew elected President Mohamed Bazoum. These countries were Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali and Chad.

No will to give way

The ultimatum – it was transmitted on July 30 by ECOWAS to the soldiers who took power and demands that President Bazoum be reinstated in his functions, under penalty of armed intervention – expired at midnight, Niamey time (1 morning hour, Monday, in Paris). But the putschists showed no willingness to give way.

The contours of the force to be mobilized for a possible military intervention were “defined” on Friday by the ECOWAS Chiefs of Staff and some armies, such as those of Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, said they were ready to participate in it.

“We condemn the coup attempt in Niger which poses a serious threat to peace and security in the sub-region,” Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said on Sunday evening. He deemed it “essential” to “restore constitutional order [in Niamey]” and to “allow the democratically elected President Bazoum to exercise his functions freely”.

This position is identical to that of France, which said it supported “with firmness and determination” the efforts of ECOWAS, believing that it was about “the future of Niger and the stability of the whole region”. The putschist soldiers denounced military and security cooperation agreements with Paris, which is deploying 1,500 soldiers in Niger for the fight against terrorism, a measure ignored by Paris.

On Sunday evening, nearly 30,000 supporters of the military coup gathered in a stadium in Niamey, journalists from Agence France-Presse noted. A delegation of CNSP members arrived at the compound to the cheers of its supporters, many of whom carried Russian flags and portraits of the new leaders.

General Mohamed Toumba, number three of the CNSP, took the floor to denounce those “who lurk in the shadows” and who “are plotting subversion” against “Niger’s march forward”. “We are aware of their Machiavellian plan,” he said.

The Algerian president fears that “the whole Sahel will be set ablaze”

Many residents of Niamey – the capital is an opposition stronghold to the ousted president – hoped on Sunday that they would not have to experience a military intervention. “If ECOWAS intervenes, it will make the situation even worse. But the people are ready and the population will support the new leaders, because we want change,” says Jackou, a textile trader.

The coup was condemned by all of Niger’s Western and African partners, but the junta received support from the leaders of Mali and Burkina Faso – the latter also came to power through putsches in 2020 and 2022, and they too face jihadist violence – who claim that intervention in Niger would be a “declaration of war” on both their countries.

The prospect of a West African military intervention arouses concern and criticism. On Saturday, senators from Nigeria – an ECOWAS heavyweight country with 215 million inhabitants and which shares a 1,500 km border with Niger – called on President Bola Tinubu to “strengthen the political and diplomatic option” .

Saturday evening, Algeria, a major player in the Sahel, which shares nearly 1,000 km of border with Niger, also expressed reservations. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on public television that an intervention would be “a direct threat” to his country. “There will be no solution without us,” he added, fearing that “the whole Sahel would go up in flames” in the event of an intervention.