Junta-led Burkina Faso and Mali counterpart has yesterday Monday warned ECOWAS that any military intervention in Niger to restore deposed President Mohamed Bazoum would be considered a “declaration of war against their two countries. The warning from Niger’s military-ruled neighbours is coming amidst ECOWAS mulling a military action threat from the West African leaders, supported by their Western partners, to use “force” to reinstate the ousted president Bazoum back to power and slam financial sanctions on the putsches.
The governments of Burkina Faso and Mali through a joint statement warned that “any military intervention against Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali” jointly and will respond back.
The two countries said the “disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger… could destabilise the entire region”.
The two allies added, saying they “refuse to apply” the “illegal, illegitimate and inhumane sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger”.
During an emergency meeting held by the ECOWAS members on Sunday in Nigeria, the regional leaders demanded that Bazoum be reinstated within a week, failing which it would take “all measures” to restore constitutional order.
The statement said, “Such measures may include the use of force for this effect.”
Subsequently, the ECOWAS leaders slammed financial sanctions on the junta leaders and the country, freezing “all commercial and financial transactions” between member states and Niger, though considered the world’s poorest nations, and often ranks last on the UN’s Human Development Index.
Demands to push the perpetrators of the July 26 junta to restore constitutional order is building from Western and African partners in Niger, a country considered essential in the fight against terrorist groups that have ravaged parts of the Sahel region for years, and are still fighting relentlessly.
Path Difficult to Take
Niger’s junta leader has on Monday accused France of desperately seeking to “intervene militarily” to reinstate Bazoum, which French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna denied.
The French Ambassador said, “It’s wrong,” Colonna told France’s BFM news channel of the allegation, adding it was still “possible” to return the president to power.
“And it’s necessary, because destabilisation is perilous for Niger and its neighbours,” she said Monday evening.
The French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday warned “immediate and uncompromising” action will be taken if French citizens or interests were attacked during the scuffle; this was after thousands of residents rallied outside the French embassy in Niamey. Some even tried to gain entrance into the compound but were dispersed by tear gas.
Ambassador Colonna said the demonstration had been “organised, though not spontaneous, but violent and extremely dangerous, with Molotov cocktails, while Russian flags were flyed which appeared to be anti-French slogans (that were) an exact copy of what you can hear elsewhere”.
Meanwhile, Russia has called for the swift return of “the rule of law” and “restraint from all parties” in Niger.
Bazoum — a Western ally whose election was conducted two years ago marked as Niger’s first peaceful transition of power since independence from France in 1960 met his weterloo on July 26 by the elite Presidential Guard through a military junta.
Bazoum’s PNDS party on Monday warned Niger risked becoming a “dictatorial and totalitarian regime” after a series of arrests.
