Niger is a country in turmoil as it waits for the regional body ECOWAS to decide what to do after the military junta there was given a deadline to reinstate Mohammed Bazoom’s elected government or risk using force.
A summit on the situation would be held this Thursday in the Nigerian capital Abuja, west African leaders said 24 hours later. “The ECOWAS leaders will be considering and discussing the political situation and recent developments in Niger during the summit,” the 15-nation group stated on Monday. At a previous session in Abuja on July 30, ECOWAS had issued its ultimatum, saying that it did not rule out the “use of force” in Niger.
On Monday, residents in Niamey’s streets displayed defiance and expressed support for their military leaders.
“They are there for our benefit, so if we choose to, we may help them now. According to a seller named Samala Abdouram, “They are fighting for our integrity, our dignity, and our sovereignty.” If it’s the other way around, we won’t leave them either since we are the ones in charge and we make the decisions. And Abdouraim.
Let the nation exercise its sovereignty. We are requesting that. We aspire to be autonomous and free. as stated in the texts. also, freedom. Everyone has the right to self-expression. According to Alhassane Adamou, a city administrator, “and that is the problem with democracy today: we do not allow everyone to express themselves.
After the deadline passed on Sunday, no foreign forces were visible in the streets of Niamey, the city of Niger. The Sahel country’s airspace was shut off just before the deadline on Sunday, and its military leaders issued a warning that any attempts to enter would be met with a “energetic and immediate response” An rapid military intervention to reinstate Bazoum was not anticipated at this time, according to a source close to ECOWAS.
We rely on our troops, so we are not concerned. The Nigerian army should not be underutilized. They are considerate individuals. We are all familiar with them in relation to the African Union, a community within the Union. They are not persons to be neglected, as far as we are aware. Mechanic Ousséini Tiani told our correspondent in Niamey.
However, neighboring Mali announced that it and Burkina Faso, both of which have been expelled from ECOWAS due to their own military takeovers, would be sending a joint formal mission to Niamey to express “solidarity (with) the people of Niger.” They have said that using military force would be the same as declaring war.
With a similar appeal, Italy encouraged ECOWAS to extend the deadline and look for a diplomatic resolution.
“There must be a solution. Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister of Italy, told the La Stampa newspaper that it is not certain that there is no other option besides war.
- The rule of law –
The president of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has warned against a military solution, calling it “a direct threat” to his nation, which borders Niger on land for a considerable distance.
Senators from regional powerhouse Nigeria urged people to concentrate on the “political and diplomatic option”.
The Sahel nation’s military leaders closed Niger’s airspace just before the deadline on Sunday came to an end and threatened anyone trying to enter with a “energetic and immediate response.”
A “pre-deployment in preparation for intervention” had allegedly been made by two, they claimed.
With France and the United States stationing roughly 1,500 and 1,000 troops there, respectively, the nation has played a crucial role in Western attempts to battle jihadist insurgencies that have plagued the Sahel since 2012.
Since the coup, France has already flown out hundreds of its citizens from Niger, and on Sunday, the Italian defense ministry announced that it had done the same with 65 military personnel and 10 US military personnel.