Niger crisis: Nigeria, Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal commit troops as AU backs ECOWAS

Several member-countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), including Ivory Coast, Republic of Benin, Senegal and Nigeria, have committed troops to the regional bloc’s planned military intervention in the Republic of Niger, Daily Trust Saturday reports. This is even as the African Union has declared its support for the ECOWAS push to […]

Several member-countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), including Ivory Coast, Republic of Benin, Senegal and Nigeria, have committed troops to the regional bloc’s planned military intervention in the Republic of Niger, Daily Trust Saturday reports.

This is even as the African Union has declared its support for the ECOWAS push to restore constitutional authority in the French-speaking West African country.

It was gathered that ECOWAS army chiefs will be meeting in the coming days to prepare plans for a possible military intervention in Niger. The meeting is expected to hold in Accra, Ghana next week Saturday.

“One meeting is being planned for next week,” Reuters quoted the ECOWAS spokesperson to have said.

While Benin, Senegal and Nigeria have committed to the intervention in principles without providing details of its deployment, the president of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, revealed that his country would commit a battalion of 850 to 1,100 men to ECOWAS’ move to restore democratic rule to Niger following lack of success in its diplomatic efforts.

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The Nigerian military did not respond to our request for comment on the actual number the country is contributing to the ECOWAS standby force. The country has, however, played leading roles in previous interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

Recall that the West African regional bloc after its emergency meeting in Abuja on Thursday ordered its Committee of the Chiefs of Defence Staff to immediately activate its standby force with all its elements.

While the decision of ECOWAS to activate its standby force has been trailed by criticism both in Nigeria and Niger, Army chiefs from member-states like Benin and Senegal corroborated Ouattara’s revelation of commitment from the member-states to the military intervention.

 

Ouattara had said after the Abuja meeting that aside his country’s deployment, soldiers from Nigeria and Benin would also be deployed.

He said ECOWAS had intervened in African countries in order to restore constitutional order before.

Benin’s army spokesman was quoted to have said on Friday that  they would contribute troops without revealing the number while Senegal had earlier revealed it would contribute troops if there were an intervention.

On their parts, Gambia’s defence minister, Sering Modou Njie and Liberia’s minister of information, Ledgerhood Rennie, said that they had not yet taken a decision to send troops.

Military governments in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, both ECOWAS members, have said they would defend the junta in Niger.

On Friday, Burkina Faso’s junta-led government suspended one of the country’s most popular radio stations after it broadcast an interview deemed “insulting” to Niger’s new military leaders.

Radio Omega was immediately suspended on Thursday “until further notice,” Communications Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo informed in a statement.

Support from AU pours in

Meanwhile, the African Union has expressed strong support for ECOWAS’s decisions on Niger.

“The president of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat expresses his strong support for ECOWAS decisions on anti-constitutional change in Niger,” AU noted in a press statement.

The statement noted that Mahamat condemned the detention of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family, describing it as “illegal kidnapping” and “unacceptable.”

“The president of the commission challenges the military authorities on the urgency of stopping the escalation with the regional organisation, mistrust of it and the continuation of the kidnapping of the president in worryingly deteriorating conditions,” the statement noted.

He called for the immediate release of Mr Bazoum and all members of his family and government.

The union also called on the international community to rally to save the moral and physical integrity of Bazoum and end what it called the “worryingly poor conditions” of his detention.

Similarly, the European Union and the United States have joined the AU in expressing “increasing worry” about Bazoum’s detention conditions.

You’ll be punished if any harm befalls Bazoum, ECOWAS envoy warns Niger

Consequently, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, has said the Niger junta will be punished if any harm befalls Bazoum.

The junta had threatened to kill Bazoum in the event of a military intervention against Niger.

But speaking on Channels Television on Friday, Musah said Bazoum and his son were being held by the military rulers who have denied them access to food and medicine.

He said they were living under appalling condition; hence, the reason for the regional bloc’s decision to prepare a standby force.

He said the West African region bloc could not fold its arms and depend on the goodwill of the coupists after interrupting democratic order.

Musah said, “We are going there, if need be, to rescue President Bazoum, who is living in very terrible conditions today. He is being denied medical attention. He is being denied access to his usual food.

“His son, who is also in detention, has lost so many kilos already. They are being held in these inhumane conditions and we cannot just sit back idle and depend on the goodwill of these people who are disrupting the democratic process in the country.

“Yesterday’s (Thursday) communique also made it very clear that this junta will pay dearly if anything happens to the safety, security or physical integrity of Bazoum, his family or members of his government. That was clearly done.

“We are not going to hold back because they are holding the president hostage. If they dare, if they harm in any way, then they are going to pay very dearly for that. So, this is a tactic.”

Russia warns against military action

Meanwhile, Russia has warned that military action against coup leaders in Niger would lead to a “protracted confrontation.”

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), while the United States has backed efforts to restore Niger’s deposed leader, Moscow has not formally backed the coup, but coup supporters, some waving Russian flags, protested at a French military base near the capital.

In a statement issued on Friday, Russia’s foreign ministry warned other West African countries not to send troops into Niger.

It stated, “We believe that a military solution to the crisis in Niger could lead to a protracted confrontation in that African country, and to a sharp destabilisation of the situation in the Sahara-Sahel region as a whole.”

More knocks trail planned military intervention as Emir of Kano calls for prayers

 Daily Trust on Saturday reports that more dissenting voices have continued to trail the planned military intervention in Niger by ECOWAS, even as pressure groups in the country has resolved to march on military camp of France in Niamey, the country’s capital city, following up on several protest marches to the French Embassy since the military seized power.

The groups told the BBC that they would continue to protest in front of the camp from Friday afternoon and would not leave until France evacuates its military from the country.

France said it fully backed all the conclusions of the ECOWAS emergency summit held on Thursday. But it has not stated any clear plan it would be giving the regional bloc if it eventually deploy military.

United States, French, German and Italian troops are stationed in Niger as part of the fight against local affiliates of Al Qaeda and Islamic State.

There were reports that that Niamey was calm on Friday morning, but residents were angered by the threat of military intervention.

“Deep down inside, I am not afraid; I am going about my business. I think this is just blackmail,” Balla Souleymane said of ECOWAS’ decisions.

Since the coup, many Nigeriens have turned up at junta-organised rallies to show support for the generals, criticising Western powers and lauding Russia, mirroring reactions following recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, whose military juntas kicked out French forces after taking power.

The BBC also quoted former Nigerian military leader, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who led a delegation to Niger over a week ago but did not get to see the coup leader, to have said, “Nobody wants to go to war. We want peace. All options are on the table.”

Meanwhile, imams of various Juma’at mosques in Kano, Abuja and several other northern Nigeria cities led special prayers (Al-qunut) against the planned military intervention, praying to Allah to proffer diplomatic solution to the impasse.

It was also gathered that many of the imams talked about the Niger crisis during their Friday sermon, calling on the Muslim faithful to continuously pray for peaceful resolution of the crisis.

The Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, had urged Islamic clerics and imams of Juma’ah mosques in Kano and beyond to devote special prayers during their Friday congregations for the return of peace and tranquillity in the Republic of Niger.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Kano Emirate Council, Abubakar Balarabe Kofar Naisa, the emir urged the imams to beseech the Almighty Allah to restore harmony, guide brothers in Niger Republic and end the suffering of the innocent citizens.

“To the warring factions in Niger Republic, I extend a humble appeal in the spirit of Islam, good neighbourliness and our common humanity.

“Quran, the sacred scripture of our religion teaches us that, “If two parties among the believers fall into a quarrel, make ye peace between them” (Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:9). In the same spirit, I call upon you to reflect on the teachings of peace, mutual respect and brotherhood that our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) command us to adhere to,” the statement added.

He noted that conflict brings only sorrow and destruction while peace nurtures prosperity and development.

“I humbly entreat all parties involved in the current conflict to embrace peace, engage in dialogue and work towards a peaceful and equitable resolution.,” he stated.

The monarch further prayed, “May Allah (SWT) imbue everyone involved with the wisdom and patience needed to navigate this crisis.

“May he bring peace and prosperity back to Niger Republic and may he continue to guide and protect all of us and may peace and blessings be upon us all.”

Don’t obey US, others this time around – Kalu tells Tinubu

Similarly, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to refrain from invading the Republic of Niger to restore democratic government.

In a short video on the social media, the senator, while responding to a question on the Niger crisis, expressed his reservations for Nigeria to join ECOWAS military intervention. He added that if the United States of America and France wanted war, they should use their own troops stationed in Niger.

According to him, the US alone has almost 4,000 troops in Niger; hence it shouldn’t resort to Nigeria to fight its proxy war by supplying arms and funds to Nigeria, insisting that it’s dangerous for Nigeria to fight in its backyard.

“You don’t know when this fight will end. Nobody knows who is sponsoring this fight. The advisers of President Tinubu, which I am also one of, would continue pleading with him not to join that fight.

“Since the Nigerian Senate already said you can’t go to war and he needs their authorisation, I don’t think it is a good idea to go to war.

“What they should go and do to the juntas now is to put the democratic process plan. They should give us either a six-month or one-year plan to return to the civil democratic process.

“I want him (Tinubu) not to listen to the US. I am a friend of the US, Israel and UK. This is the first time I will like President Tinubu to disobey the US. It is not the right thing to do. We are not going to war. Let the US, Nigeria and France have transitional programmes with soldiers.

“The juntas are also Nigerien people, not outsiders, so let’s plan a transition in peaceful and diplomatic ways. They should reach a concrete agreement to return to civil rule.

“I am not thinking of going to war with Niger; they are our blood brothers. Secondly, it is very dangerous; you don’t know who is going to join the war. They may invade Nigeria. We already have a lot of problems with our minerals along those shores. Nobody should attempt taking us into war. We can’t go to war with Niger at all,” he said.

The former governor warned that no Nigerian soldier’s head is worth sacrificing for another country as its entirely internal issue of the Republic of Niger.

He added that Nigeria should even withdraw her membership in the ECOWAS as long as the regional bloc remains adamant in military action. “We are a sovereign country, nobody can toy with 250million Nigerians,” Kalu said.

CNG warns against military intervention

Also, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has rejected the planned military action against Niger by any regional or international community/institution.

The coalition, in a statement by its spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, appealed to political, religious, traditional and cultural leaders across the West African sub-region to urgently intervene by impressing the need for a window for serious negotiations to be provided.

“These leaders should identify a neutral location within Africa at which to hold such honest discussions to finally bring a bloodless enduring end to this impasse,” he stated.

The coalition noted, “The rigid positions assumed by both ECOWAS and the military leaders in Niger, which left very little space for honest discussions towards peaceful resolution of what is ordinarily an African affair that can be solved the African way.”

It called on both the military authorities in Niger and the ECOWAS to open and allow all doors for discussions devoid of any hidden agenda or unnecessary preconditions for genuine dialogue.

It also called “on the leaders of the coup in Niger Republic to discard their rigid stance and unhelpful show of bravado and embrace all diplomatic overtures in order to reach a peaceful and bloodless resolution of the matter, keeping in mind that threats and conflicts have very little or no utility  value.

The coalition also stated that it condemned “with all our might, the burning in Niger of Nigerian national flag, which is our symbol of nationhood, and demand the military junta to order it to stop forthwith,” while also saying that the “discrediting of our president and leaders is not only immoral and illegal but also abhorrent to Nigeria’s collective sensibilities and ordinary decency, and therefore, unacceptable.”

Clement A. Oloyede, Salim U. Ibrahim (Kano) & Dalhatu Liman (Abuja), with agency reports