After the leaders of the coup in Niger ignored the deadline set by the" ECOWAS " Economic Community of West African states to restore the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum to his post .

 

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Edited by| Christian Megan

 

Politic section -  CJ journalist

 

Niamey - August,7,2023

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Niamey is waiting for a response from "ECOWAS" after it said that it may allow military intervention, and that it will issue a statement on its next steps in response to the Military Council's refusal to bow to external pressure to step down by Sunday, after seizing power on July 26.

Niger's Military Council announced on Sunday evening the closure of its airspace "in the face of the threat of intervention," as announced by the military who seized power in Niamey.

A military statement said that" in the face of the threat of interference, the contours of which are beginning to become clear from neighboring countries, Niger's airspace has been closed from Sunday, until further notice, "and the military stressed that" any attempt to violate the airspace " will be met with a strong and immediate response.

On the ground, about 30 thousand supporters of the coup gathered in Niamey, the capital of Niger, on Sunday in a show of force hours before the expiration of the deadline granted by the economic community of West African States (ECOWAS) to reinstate deposed president Mohamed Bazoum under penalty of the use of force.

Members of the ruling National Council for the protection of the homeland arrived at the stadium in a convoy of four-wheel drive cars and were greeted by the crowd with a standing ovation, and General Mohamed Toumba, the third man in the Military Council, spoke to the crowd to denounce "those lurking in the shadows who plan to sabotage Niger's march forward," adding, "We are aware of their Machiavellian plan.

This show of force comes on the day of the expiration of the deadline set by "ECOWAS" on July 30 last for the military to restore the deposed president Mohamed Bazoum to office. The deadline expires on Sunday evening, and the generals who took power on July 26 have so far shown no desire to back down.

On Friday, ECOWAS military leaders outlined a plan for a" possible military intervention " after a two-day meeting in the Nigerian capital Abuja, while some of the group's countries such as Senegal and Ivory Coast expressed their readiness to participate in the intervention.

All of Niger's Western and African partners condemned the coup, but the Nigerian military received support from their counterparts in Mali and Burkina Faso, who also came to power through two coups in 2020 and 2022, and Bamako and Ouagadougou considered that any intervention in Niger would be tantamount to declaring war on them, while the possibility of military intervention raises regional concerns and criticism.

Criticism has emerged in Nigeria, which currently holds the presidency of" ECOWAS " and is one of its most prominent pillars, and the country with a population of 215 million people shares a 1,500-kilometer border with Niger.

Senior politicians in Nigeria urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the threat of military intervention, and the Nigerian Senate also called on "the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his capacity as chairman of the economic community of West African States (ECOWAS) to encourage other leaders of the group to strengthen political and diplomatic options".

Senators from states in northern Nigeria, seven of which share a border with Niger, have been advised not to intervene until all other options have been exhausted.

According to the country's Constitution, Nigerian troops cannot participate in operations abroad without the approval of the Senate, except in cases of "imminent threat or danger" to national security.

ECOWAS and Western countries are demanding the return to constitutional order and the release of President Bazoum, who has been detained since the July 26 coup, and the French Foreign Ministry confirmed on Saturday its support for "resolutely and resolutely the efforts of (ECOWAS) against the coup" and considered that the future of Niger and the stability of the entire region are at stake.

The coup plotters in Niger announced the cancellation of military and security cooperation agreements with Paris, which deploys 1,500 military personnel in Niger, while France declared the decision invalid due to the lack of legitimacy of its owners.

 

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