OpenLife Nigeria reports that the Economic Community of West African States threatened to intervene militarily if Niger’s coup leaders didn’t restore the country’s democratically elected leader, President Mohamed Bazoum, by Sunday night.
That deadline has now passed without any sign of a military response, but junta leaders have closed Niger’s airspace, claiming that two Central African nations are preparing for military intervention.
Meanwhile, thousands of supporters of the junta, which now calls itself the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, filled a 30,000-seat stadium in the capital Niamey. They cheered and carried Russian flags and portraits of junta militants, including self-appointed leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani.
Neighboring Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali – notably suspended from ECOWAS owing to recent coups in their countries – side with the new regime, and Burkina Faso and Mali have threatened to respond if Niger is attacked by the bloc.
ECOWAS members, led by Nigeria, support the return of Bazoum but appear unwilling to use military might. On Saturday, the Nigerian Senate rejected a request by President Bola Tinubu to send troops to Niger and called instead for a political solution.
For his part, Bazoum has not given up. In an op-ed for the Washington Post, he asked for help from the international community.
France has pledged its support for ECOWAS military intervention, and the US has agreed to keep up diplomatic pressure, but we’ll be watching to see how far ECOWAS is willing to go to deliver on its threat.
NASRE Foundation Hosts Third Media Outreach OpenLife Nigeria reports that the Nigerian Association of…
ZENITH BANK REWARDS HACKATHON WINNERS OpenLife Nigeria reports that a total sum of N77.5 million…
Boost In Oil Production OpenLife Nigeria reports that in a major boost for Nigeria’s crude…
Health OpenLife Nigeria reports that the Nigerian Association of Social and Resourceful Editors (NASRE) has…
We Are Building A New Police OpenLife Nigeria reports that the Police Service Commission today,…
Helen Paul Receives Georgia Citizen Award Popular entertainer and educationist, Prof Helen Paul…
This website uses cookies.