The military Chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, will meet on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th August 2023, in Accra, Ghana over a possible military intervention in Niger Republic.
The meeting was called after the Chiefs had approved the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger, whose elected president was toppled by the military on 26th July 2023.
ECOWAS defense ministers and military chiefs had met after the coup in the Niger Republic and drafted deployment plans after they had issued an ultimatum against the junta.
ECOWAS gave Niger’s military rulers a one-week ultimatum on the 30th of July, to restore President Bazoum or face the potential use of force, but the deadline expired without any action.
The coup leaders had after several failed attempts for peaceful resolution, agreed to a diplomatic talk after Tchiani met with Nigerian religious mediators, but by Sunday 13th August, 2023, the juntas declared they had gathered sufficient evidence to prosecute President Bazoum for high treason and undermining internal and external security.
This new development was condemned by ECOWAS, who said it represents yet another form of provocation and contradicts the reported willingness of the military authorities to restore constitutional order through peaceful means.
Out of the 15 ECOWAS members, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin and Guinea-Bissau declared their willingness to provide troops in the case of an intervention.
While Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, which were suspended from ECOWAS after their coups, as is Niger now, want to support the junta in Niger militarily in the event of an intervention.
Story: Hilda Katu