Meeting since Thursday in Accra, Ghana, the chiefs of staff of the West African armies have put forward a little more the option of a military intervention in Niger, saying on Friday that the date of this operation had been decided.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), however, hopes to be able to resolve this crisis peacefully, it says, if the military in power in Niger are open to dialogue. “I don’t think we should focus on the military aspect. We are ready to solve the problem peacefully, but it takes two to tango”said Abdel-Fatau Musah, the commissioner for political affairs, peace and security of the organization.
A diplomatic mission to Niamey is thus in preparation this Saturday, he announced. Previous attempts at mediation have however ended in failure, none of them having succeeded in meeting General Abdourahamane Tiani, the country’s new strongman.
Abdel-Fatau Musah took aim at claims that such an operation would be ordered by foreign powers: “ECOWAS is doing this in defense of its own principles. Those who misinform the public by claiming that ECOWAS is controlled or directed by such and such a power have understood nothing. No power pushed us in our previous interventions. We intervened ourselves, and it is no different today. We are doing this ourselves, for ourselves, and for the prosperity of the sub-region. We want to return to constitutional order, and we decided that the coup in Niger was too much for the region. We’re ending it this time. »
Niger’s ruling military has warned that armed intervention against the country would be a “unlawful and dangerous aggression”.