Troops from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have expressed readiness to join a standby force to intervene in Niger, following a coup against President Mohamed Bazoum.
After the presidential guard’s coup, ECOWAS gave a 7-day ultimatum for the restoration of the president, threatening sanctions and potential military action.
In response, the junta vowed to resist foreign intervention and also threatened to kill President Bazoum.
Meeting in Accra, Ghana, Defence Chiefs from the 15-member regional bloc decided to activate their standby force.
All members, except nations currently under military rule and Cape Verde, have committed to this force.
ECOWAS commissioner, Abdel-Fatau Musah, confirmed this stance to Al Jazeera.
The medium further quoted Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, to have said, “Democracy is what we stand for and it’s what we encourage,”
“The focus of our gathering is not simply to react to events, but to proactively chart a course that results in peace and promote stability.”
Burkina Faso and Mali, which have experienced multiple coups since 2020, warned that any military intervention in Niger would be declared as an act of war, revealing a fracture in the region between its coastal countries and those in the volatile Sahel.
