Russia issued a cautionary message on Friday opposing a potential military intervention in Niger, a day after leaders from West Africa announced their intention to assemble a “standby” force aimed at reinstating the president who was ousted by a coup.
The Russian foreign ministry stated, as reported by the global news agency AFP, “We believe that resorting to a military resolution for the Niger crisis could result in a prolonged conflict within the African nation, leading to significant destabilization across the entire Sahara-Sahel region.”
In a recent development, West African leaders endorsed the deployment of a “standby force to reinstate constitutional order” in Niger, with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara confirming the intervention’s impending execution on Thursday.
The ECOWAS regional organization, however, did not furnish specific details regarding the force’s composition or the timeline for taking action against the military officials responsible for the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum two weeks ago.
Upon his return to Abidjan from the emergency summit in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, President Ouattara conveyed, “The Chiefs of Staff will hold further conferences to finalize details, but they have received approval from the Conference of Heads of State for the operation to commence promptly.”
President Ouattara revealed that Ivory Coast would contribute a battalion of 850 to 1,100 soldiers, along with troops from Nigeria and Benin, while additional countries would also participate in the endeavor. He affirmed their resolute determination to reinstate President Bazoum to his rightful position.
During the Abuja summit, ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray announced the deployment of the regional bloc’s force.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a statement on Thursday, advocated for a non-violent solution to reverse the coup, commending ECOWAS’ determination “to explore all options for the peaceful resolution of the crisis.” He emphasized the crucial role played by ECOWAS in underscoring the necessity of restoring constitutional order.
France, the former colonial power, expressed full support for ECOWAS’ conclusions.
Despite the summit’s occurrence, Niger’s new military leaders moved to solidify their control by appointing a new government. The 21-member cabinet, led by Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, includes generals from the military governing council at the helm of the defence and interior ministries.
Defying ECOWAS’ previous ultimatum, the coup leaders failed to reinstate President Bazoum by the set deadline. Nigeria’s President Tinubu, who chaired the crisis meeting, conveyed that while diplomatic negotiations and dialogue remained a priority, no option, including the use of force, was excluded.
Acknowledging the challenges of military takeovers within the region, ECOWAS grapples with maintaining stability amidst these coups. President Tinubu acknowledged the prior ultimatum’s lack of success and emphasized the need for earnest discussions to convince the coup leaders to relinquish power and reinstate President Bazoum.
