The Economic Community of West African States held an extraordinary summit in Nigeria. Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara says leaders have given the go-ahead for a military operation.
The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ordered the deployment of the regional organization’s “standby force” on Thursday (August 10th) to restore constitutional order in Niger. This decision was announced by the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, after an extraordinary summit organized in Abuja (Nigeria). He did not specify the number of men constituting this force, their countries of origin and their current location. The official, moreover, reaffirmed “continuing commitment to the restoration of constitutional order, through peaceful means”.
It is not yet possible to determine what this deployment actually means for Niger. The President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu, at the head of ECOWAS, had affirmed before the reading of the resolutions, to hope “reach a peaceful resolution”adding: “all is not lost”. “No option is excluded, including the use of force as a last resort. If we don’t do it, no one else will do it for us”he added.
Green light from ECOWAS, according to the Ivorian president
The Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara, for his part said that the leaders had given their fire for a military operation “as soon as possible”on his return from the summit. “The Chiefs of Staff will have other conferences to finalize things, but they have the agreement of the Conference of Heads of State for the operation to start as soon as possible”, said the leader. He added that Côte d’Ivoire would provide “a battalion” from 850 to 1,100 men, alongside Nigeria and Benin in particular, and that “other countries” will join them.
“The putschists can decide to leave tomorrow morning and there will be no military intervention, everything depends on them.”
Alassane Ouattara, President of the Ivory Coast
All the presidents of the West African bloc made the trip to the Nigerian capital, except those of Gambia, Liberia and Cape Verde, who sent representatives. The presidents of Burundi and Mauritania, non-members of ECOWAS but invited by it, were also present.
>> Niger: why the idea of a military intervention against the putschists is far from unanimous
In Niger, the military regime that emerged from the coup formed a government just before this crucial summit. The government formed in Niamey is led by Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine and includes 20 ministers. Those of Defense and the Interior are generals of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP) which took power, respectively General Salifou Mody and General Mohamed Toumba.