The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Thursday ordered the deployment of the regional organization’s “standby force” to restore constitutional order in Niger, according to resolutions read at the end of a summit in Abuja. The organization ordered “the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger”, declared the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, at the end of this extraordinary summit on the Niger.
Green light from ECOWAS for the operation to start “as soon as possible”
Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said Thursday that West African heads of state had given the green light for a military operation “to start as soon as possible” to restore constitutional order in Niger where soldiers took power two weeks ago. “The chiefs of staff will have other conferences to finalize things but they have the agreement of the conference of heads of state for the operation to start as soon as possible,” said Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan. , on his return from Abuja where the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ordered the deployment of the organization’s “standby force”.
“No option is excluded”
It was not immediately possible to determine what this deployment actually means for Niger. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, head of ECOWAS, said before the reading of the resolutions, hope “to reach a peaceful resolution”, adding: “all is not lost”. “No option is excluded, including the use of force as a last resort. If we don’t do it, no one else will do it for us,” he added.
The President of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, told the press before his departure from the summit “that ECOWAS had intervened in the past in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau” when the constitutional order was threatened. “Today, Niger is experiencing a similar situation and I want to say that ECOWAS cannot accept it,” he added. “We tried to dialogue with the putschists in Niger, we sent delegations and high personalities (…) But they keep President Bazoum hostage”, he continued.