When he was appointed head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on July 9, Bola Tinubu affirmed it from the outset: democracy is “the best form of government”, although she is “very difficult to manage”. “We need it to be an example for the rest of Africa and the worldinsisted the newly elected Nigerian president. We will not allow coup after coup in West Africa. » Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso had just suffered five putschs in three years. But barely three weeks after that first speech, a sixth pronunciamiento is in progress. Since Wednesday July 26, the Nigerien president, Mohamed Bazoum, is, as he says himself in a column published in the washington post, “hostage” in his presidential residence in Niamey.
As President of ECOWAS and the largest regional economic power, Bola Tinubu is on the front line to ensure the return of constitutional order in Niger and bring down General Abdourahamane Tiani, leader of the National Council for the Safeguard of homeland (CNSP). On Sunday, the leaders of the sub-region issued a week-long ultimatum to the junta to relinquish power, without excluding, if not, a “use of force”, that is to say a military operation. Severe economic sanctions (freezing of Niger State assets, suspension of commercial transactions, etc.) have already been taken. Nigeria has reinforced them by cutting off the electricity supply to Niger, which is 70% dependent on it for energy.
In a few days, the crisis spread to Mali and Burkina Faso, led by military coup leaders and partners of Moscow in the sub-region. They warned that an intervention in Niger would be a ” declaration of war “ against them, heightening the risk of a regional conflagration. On Wednesday, the Nigerien general Salifou Mody, considered the number 2 of the CNSP, went to Bamako and Ouagadougou to ensure the support of the “Sister Republics”. From diplomatic sources, “a contact was also established in Mali between the Nigerian junta and the Russian mercenaries of Wagner”.
“Nigeria is back”
At the same time, a summit of ECOWAS chiefs of staff is held under high tension until Friday in Abuja, capital of Nigeria. “The military option is the very last option on the table, but we must be prepared for this eventuality”said Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs and Security, on Wednesday. On the diplomatic side, the mediation led by the former Nigerian head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar failed: the ECOWAS delegation he was leading only stayed a few hours in Niamey on Thursday and was unable to meet either the leader of the putschists, nor the overthrown president.
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