Caroline Baudry, edited by Laura Laplaud / Photo credit: KOLA SULAIMON / AFP
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07:44, August 11, 2023
The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Thursday ordered the deployment of its “standby force” to restore constitutional order in Niger, without immediately specifying the form and role of this deployment. The operation should start “as soon as possible”, the Ivorian president said later.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Thursday ordered the deployment of a “standby force” to restore constitutional order in Niger, and which should intervene “as soon as possible”, according to Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.
ECOWAS, which however still hopes to reach a peaceful resolution to the crisis, has not specified any timetable, nor the number or origin of the soldiers making up this “standby force”. This “standby force” now numbers 1,500 men. But a military intervention of the countries would oppose two blocks: ECOWAS on one side and an alliance of countries led by putschists on the other.
Nigeria’s army, the fourth most powerful on the African continent
With 250,000 men, the armies of ECOWAS member countries would dominate the opposing bloc, even cut off from the few countries unfavorable to intervention, such as Benin or Ghana. The military alliance remains superior thanks to Nigeria, explains Gabriel Poda, an analyst at the consulting firm Sahel Politica. “The Nigerian army has about 215,000 men and impressive military equipment. The Nigerian army is ranked as the fourth most powerful army on the African continent. It alone has the capacity to defeat the claims of the putschists. “, he says before adding that a military intervention by ECOWAS would most likely lead to strong defections from the armed forces of Niger.
Paris reiterates its support for ECOWAS
For its part, the army of Niger has 40,000 soldiers. Another black spot on the putschist side, the air force is very dilapidated and has only two combat planes, against about thirty for Nigeria. The armed forces are already in the fight against the jihadists. Ditto for its allies, Mali and Burkina Faso. This makes them all the more fragile in the event of ECOWAS intervention. In the wake of this announcement, Paris reiterated its support for ECOWAS, as did Washington, even if the head of its diplomacy is pleading this Friday morning for a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Niger.