The putschists hardly seem to “renounce [leur] adventurism”, as the head of French diplomacy Catherine Colonna asked on Saturday. The authoritarian military regime newly in place in Niger remains insensitive to offers of negotiations from ECOWAS and the United States to avoid military intervention to restore constitutional order, which remains an option.
Thursday, a summit of West African countries should be held in Abuja, capital of Nigeria led by Bola Tinubu, current president of ECOWAS. The latter maintains that diplomacy is the “best way” to resolve the crisis, even if he has not ruled out military intervention in Niger, his spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said on Tuesday.
A delegation from ECOWAS and the UN threatened
A joint delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the United Nations was unable to travel to Niger on Tuesday, the regional organization confirmed in the evening.
This mission was canceled following a communication from the military authorities of Niger indicating that they were not able to receive this tripartite delegation, ECOWAS added.
The military in power in Niamey had invoked reasons of “security, in this atmosphere of threat of aggression against Niger”.
“The current context of anger and revolt of the populations following the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS does not allow to welcome the said delegation in the serenity and security required”, indicates a letter from the Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent Monday to ECOWAS .
The same ministry also indicated in another letter that “the permanent diplomatic authorizations” granted for 2023 “to aircraft from friendly and partner countries of Niger are temporarily suspended”, without specifying the type of aircraft or the countries concerned.
France and the United States support ECOWAS
ECOWAS has threatened to intervene militarily in Niger to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, who was overthrown by a coup on 26 July. This threat, in the form of a seven-day ultimatum set to the Nigerien military on July 30 by the leaders of ECOWAS, was not carried out when it expired on Sunday evening, the organization saying it wanted to favor the path of dialogue. .
The United States, a privileged partner with France in the fight against the jihadist groups which undermine this country and a large part of the Sahel region, have also attempted dialogue. France, a former colonial power regularly vilified during demonstrations in West Africa, said on Tuesday from a diplomatic source that it supported “the efforts of the countries of the region to restore democracy” in Niger.