West African bloc prompts standby power for attainable Niger intervention

AFP

West Africa’s regional bloc on Thursday ordered the activation of a standby power for attainable use in opposition to the junta that took energy in Niger in July, saying it wished a peaceable restoration of democracy however all choices together with power had been on the desk.

The risk of an invasion, although not particular, raises tensions in and round Niger, a uranium producer that till the coup was an vital ally of the West within the battle in opposition to Islamist insurgents devastating the Sahel area.

The junta, which seized energy on July 26, had defied an August 6 deadline to face down set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as a substitute closing Niger’s airspace and vowing to defend the nation in opposition to any overseas assault.

After a summit of its heads of state within the Nigerian capital Abuja, the bloc pledged to implement sanctions, journey bans and asset freezes on these stopping the return to energy of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.

“No option is taken off the table, including the use of force as a last resort,” mentioned Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the ECOWAS chair.

“I hope that through our collective effort we can bring about a peaceful resolution as a roadmap to restoring stability and democracy in Niger,” he mentioned. “All is not lost yet.”

An official assertion was learn out which included a decision asking the bloc’s defence chiefs to “activate the ECOWAS Standby Force with all its elements immediately”.

Another decision spoke of ordering “the deployment of the ECOWAS Standby Force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger”, instantly adopted by one other that spoke of restoring such order “through peaceful means”.

Reiterating assist for the efforts by ECOWAS and a name for the discharge of President Bazoum, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned in a press release that the United States would maintain the junta accountable for the security of Bazoum, his household, and detained members of the federal government.

“The United States appreciates the determination of ECOWAS to explore all options for the peaceful resolution of the crisis,” Blinken mentioned.

Security analysts mentioned an ECOWAS power might take weeks or longer to assemble, doubtlessly leaving room for negotiations.

The bloc has deliberate to create a standby power of 1000’s of troops for years however was held again by funding delays and inadequate troop commitments, mentioned Ikemesit Effiong, a researcher at SBM Intelligence in Nigeria.

After a string of coups since 2020 and rising militant exercise, regional leaders mentioned in December that they had been decided to create such a power.

ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray informed the UN Security Council final month that they had been contemplating two choices: a brigade of 5,000 troops at an annual price of $2.3 billion or the deployment of troops on demand at an annual price of $360 million.

Thursday’s assertion didn’t spell out how the power can be funded, which international locations would take part or what number of troops and what {hardware} they might contribute.

“There’s probably still a lot that has not been agreed to, such as timeline and red lines and what to do in contingency situations if things continue to go sour,” mentioned Aneliese Bernard, director of consultancy Strategic Stabilization Advisors.

‘GET THEM OUT’

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the summit, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara mentioned he thought-about the detention of Bazoum “a terrorist act” and promised to provide a battalion of troops to the power.

“We want democracy in our sub-region. We do not accept, we will not accept coups d’etat. These putschists must go. If they don’t let Bazoum out to be able to exercise his mandate, I think we should move ahead and get them out,” he mentioned, with out saying what number of troops the nation would supply.

ECOWAS sought to venture a picture of decision and unity, however the bloc is break up, with suspended member states Mali and Burkina Faso, additionally dominated by army governments, vowing to defend the Niger junta.

“There’s still a lot of unknowns, but this (ECOWAS statement) is a significant next step and certainly an escalation of tensions, at least between the regional bloc and the junta bloc that seems to be forming right now, between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger specifically,” mentioned Bernard.

The United Nations and Western powers have backed ECOWAS efforts to influence the coup leaders to relinquish energy and free Bazoum, who’s being detained in his residence, however to this point they’ve given no signal they had been prepared to again down.

Hours earlier than the summit in Abuja, they named a slate of ministers in an obvious transfer to entrench their place and current themselves as a professional authorities.

Western international locations worry Niger might observe Mali’s footsteps and search assist from Russia’s Wagner Group, which the U.S. has designated a transnational felony organisation. Wagner’s chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has welcomed the Niger coup and mentioned his forces had been accessible to revive order.

Despite being one of many world’s poorest international locations, landlocked Niger, which is greater than twice the dimensions of France, is the world’s seventh-largest producer of uranium, an important materials for nuclear energy.

Until the coup, it was additionally an more and more useful ally for the West after Mali and others turned in opposition to former colonial energy France in favour of nearer ties with Russia.

US, French, German and Italian troops are stationed in Niger as a part of a world battle in opposition to a long-running insurgency that unfold throughout the Sahel from Mali displacing tens of millions and inflicting a starvation disaster.