“In the current climate of anger and agitation among citizens as a result of the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS, it is impossible to receive the delegation with the necessary peace and security,” the letter to the ECOWAS representative in Niamey reads.
In late July, a military coup overthrew democratically elected President Mohamed Bassum and the legitimate government. On Monday evening, coup leaders installed a new prime minister, Ali Mahamane Lamine Sain, a member of the ousted Nigerian government in 2010.
Despite international pressure on Niger’s military regime to relinquish power, the decision to appoint a new prime minister indicates that the military will try to maintain leadership in the West African country, France24 writes. Correspondent James Andre wrote that the military junta was “asserting its power…trying to send a message that it is building a government around itself.”
The US is talking about a diplomatic settlement
On Monday, Niamey hosted Under-Secretary-of-State Victoria Niwan, who, as she told reporters, held “honest and tough” talks with senior representatives of the military junta. His request to see Bazoom was rejected, as were suggestions to restore democratic order in the country.
In an interview with French radio RFI on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said diplomacy was the “preferred way” to resolve the conflict, and that was the approach of the US and ECOWAS. In an interview with the BBC published on the same day, Blinken assessed that while the Russian mercenary Wagner group had nothing to do with the coup in Niger, it was trying to use the current situation to the advantage of Russia and its interests in Africa. .
Neighboring countries threaten military attack
At the same time, ECOWAS, a group of 15 West African nations that includes Niger, has drawn up plans for possible military intervention if democratically elected politicians are not returned to power in Niger. After a specially convened summit on the coup, the community issued a statement announcing sanctions on Niger and saying it could not rule out the use of force against Niamey if the military regime did not voluntarily hand over power.
However, now, diplomats serving in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital and ECOWAS headquarters, have said there is no talk of launching military action against Niger after it failed to comply with the community’s ultimatum within seven days, RFI Radio writes.
Such an intervention is still on the table, however, RFI Abuja Correspondent Lisa Fabian assesses, even if all efforts are directed towards expansion. Jean-Luc Aplogan, a French radio reporter based in Benin’s most populous city of Cotonou, said four countries — Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Benin — had offered to send troops to Niger. A total of 25,000 people will take part in the intervention, according to plans by the ECOWAS security chiefs. The players, most of them are from Nigeria.
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