Niger: West Africa issues an ultimatum to the putschists

West African countries on Sunday ordered an economic blockade of Niger, deciding the “immediate” suspension of “all commercial and financial transactions” with the country, and giving the junta a one-week ultimatum to restore constitutional order, claiming not to rule out a “use of force”. At the same time in Niamey, thousands of demonstrators supporting the putschist soldiers converged in the morning in front of the French embassy, ??in which some wanted to enter, before being dispersed by tear gas canisters.

Some tore down a plaque displaying “French Embassy in Niger”, before trampling on it and replacing it with Russian and Nigerien flags, an Agence France-Presse journalist noted.

This gathering was denounced by Paris, and French President Emmanuel Macron warned that he “will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests” in Niger, while threatening, in the event of violence, to “respond immediately and intractable”.

The pressure increases every day a little more on the new proclaimed strong man of Niger, the putschist general Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of the presidential guard, at the origin of the fall of the elected president Mohamed Bazoum, sequestered for four days.

The West African bloc (ECOWAS), the African Union and Western countries, including France and the United States, do not recognize the “authorities” resulting from the putsch and demand a return to constitutional order.

Thus, an extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (of which Niger is a member with 14 other countries) was held on Sunday in Abuja, under the aegis of the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, in the head of the regional institution since the beginning of the month.

ECOWAS demanded the “immediate release” of President Bazoum and the “complete return to constitutional order”, according to resolutions read at the end of the summit.

If these requests are “not met within one week”, ECOWAS will “take all necessary measures” and “such measures may include the use of force”, according to these resolutions.

The regional organization has also decided to “suspend all commercial and financial transactions” between its member states and Niger. The Sahelian country of 20 million people is one of the poorest in the world, despite its uranium resources.

Other financial sanctions were decided, including “an asset freeze for military officials involved in the coup attempt”.

“It is no longer time for us to send out alarm signals,” Mr. Tinubu said, “the time is for action.” The ECOWAS countries were represented by their leader or representative, with the exception of Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso – suspended since they too were led by putschist soldiers.

“The sanctions will hurt our country very badly,” Nigerien Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou repeated in an interview with the France 24 channel on Sunday. He said he was “optimistic” about the ongoing mediations.

The leader of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, whose country is not a member of ECOWAS, but which is a neighbor of Niger, also a military power in the Sahel allied with France, took part in this summit. He then went to Niamey, a “Chadian initiative” to “see what he can bring to the settlement of the crisis”, according to N’Djamena.

Niger’s former President Mahamadou Issoufou also announced on Sunday that he was working to “find a negotiated way out of the crisis” to “release” his successor Mohamed Bazoum, and “restore him to office”.

On Saturday evening, the junta resulting from the putsch had denounced the ECOWAS summit, seeing it as the threat of “imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with African countries not members of the organization and certain Western countries”.

At the end of 2022, ECOWAS, meeting at the summit, decided to create a regional force dedicated to intervening not only against the jihadism that undermines the countries of the Sahel, but also in the event of a coup, as the region has experienced several since. two years.

Sanctions and ultimatums have already been decided by other countries, notably France, which announced on Saturday that it was suspending its development aid to Niger. As for the African Union, on Friday it set a 15-day ultimatum for the military to restore “constitutional authority”.

Washington has signaled its “unwavering support” for Mr. Bazoum, saying the coup jeopardizes the “partnership” between the United States and Niger. Located in the heart of the Sahel, Niger is the last ally with which France, a former colonial power, maintains a so-called “combat” partnership against the jihadists, in this region undermined by instability, precariousness and attacks by groups. jihadists.

Paris currently has some 1,500 soldiers in Niger, who have so far operated in conjunction with the local army. After Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger, plagued by attacks from groups linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, is the third country in the region to suffer a coup since 2020.