After the coup, the threats. In Niger, the putschists denounced military agreements with Paris on Thursday evening and promised an “immediate response” to “any aggression” by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), also announcing the dismissal of four ambassadors of Niamey, including the one based in France.
The tension is further increased after the arrival of an ECOWAS delegation Thursday evening in Niamey to try to find a way out of the crisis, eight days after the coup in Niger which overthrew elected President Mohamed Bazoum, July 26.
The military in power announced in a press release read on television that they denounced “cooperation agreements in the field of security and defense” with Paris, which has 1,500 soldiers deployed in Niger.
“Immediate response” to “any aggression”
In the same press release, the putschists declared about the declarations of ECOWAS that “any aggression or attempted aggression against the State of Niger will see an immediate response and without notice from the Niger Defense and Security Forces on one of its members, with the exception of suspended friendly countries”, alluding to Burkina Faso and Mali, led by the military and with whom Niger wishes to collaborate.
These announcements come three days before the deadline set by ECOWAS, which imposed heavy sanctions on Niamey and gave the putschists until Sunday to restore President Bazoum, under penalty of potentially using “force”.
“Return to reason”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, also current president of ECOWAS, asked Abdulsalami Abubakar, who is leading the delegation, to “do everything” to find an “amicable resolution”.
The organization, which notably suspended financial transactions with Niger, said it was preparing for a military operation, even if it stressed that it was “the last option on the table”.
The ECOWAS chiefs of staff are meeting in Abuja until Friday, while several West African armies, including that of Senegal, say they are ready to intervene if the ultimatum is not respected on Sunday.
In an interview with AFP, the now ex-ambassador of Niger in Washington, Kiari Liman-Tinguiri, called on the junta to “come to reason”, warning against the
“collapse” of “the entire Sahel”.