Niger locals volunteer for the military junta as war clouds hover over the country. Thousands of people lined up outside the main stadium in Niamey on Saturday. They had gathered to register as volunteer fighters or to help the junta with other needs. Some parents brought their children to sign up; others said they’d been waiting since 3 a.m. Several groups of youth boisterously chanted in favour of the junta and against ECOWAS.
The ECOWAS bloc said on Thursday it had directed a “standby force” to restore constitutional order in Niger after its Sunday deadline to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum expired
Tensions are escalating between Niger’s new military regime and the West African regional bloc that has ordered the deployment of troops to restore Niger’s flailing democracy.
The ECOWAS bloc said on Thursday it had directed a “standby force” to restore constitutional order in Niger after its Sunday deadline to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum expired.
Hours earlier, two Western officials told The Associated Press that Niger’s junta had told a top U.S. diplomat they would kill Bazoum if neighboring countries attempted any military intervention to restore his rule.
It’s unclear when or where the force will deploy and which countries from the 15-member bloc would contribute to it. Conflict experts say it would likely comprise some 5,000 troops led by Nigeria and could be ready within weeks.
After the ECOWAS meeting, neighboring Ivory Coast’s president, Alassane Ouattara, said his country would take part in the military operation, along with Nigeria and Benin.
“Ivory Coast will provide a battalion and has made all the financial arrangements … We are determined to install Bazoum in his position. Our objective is peace and stability in the sub-region,” Ouattara said on state television.
Niger, an impoverished country of some 25 million people, was seen as one of the last hopes for Western nations to partner with in beating back a jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that’s ravaged the region. France and the United States have more than 2,500 military personnel in Niger and together with other European partners had poured hundreds of millions of dollars into propping up its military.
The junta responsible for spearheading the coup, led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, has exploited anti-French sentiment among the population to shore up its support.
Nigeriens in the capital, Niamey, on Friday said ECOWAS isn’t in touch with the reality on the ground and shouldn’t intervene.
“It is our business, not theirs. They don’t even know the reason why the coup happened in Niger,” said Achirou Harouna Albassi, a resident. Bazoum was not abiding by the will of the people, he said.
On Friday the African Union expressed strong support for ECOWAS’ decision and called on the junta to “urgently halt the escalation with the regional organization.” It also called for the immediate release of Bazoum. An African Union meeting to discuss the situation in Niger expected on Saturday was postponed.
West African defense chiefs are planning a potential military intervention in Niger if the coup authorities do not restore the overthrown government by Sunday, indicating the possibility of a major regional war.
The conflict also draws in middle powers, France and Russia, on opposite sides of the Niger coup, although none have directly challenged the other.
Abdel-Fatau Musah, the commissioner for political affairs, peace, and security in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said about the military plans being drawn up as a signal to the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali (N-BF-M) grouping “All the elements of an eventual intervention have been worked out, including the resources, the how and when,” according to a report in Al Jazeera.
Musah made the statement at the close of a three-day meeting in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. ECOWAS has already imposed sanctions on Niger and said it could authorize using force if the coup leaders do not restore power to elected President Mohamed Bazoum by Sunday.
Nigeria is leading the charge against Niger in the ECOWAS, with Abuja already having cut off electricity supply to Niamey.
The 15-member body also sent a delegation to Niger on Thursday seeking an “amicable resolution,” but a source in the entourage said a meeting at the airport with the military’s representatives yielded no breakthrough, the report added.
The Niger coup and its backing by Burkina Faso and Mali against the ECOWAS represents a broader pushback against France and an attraction towards Russia. It has been in the making since last year when protests against Paris broke out in its former colonies in the Sahel.
Russia-Africa Summit
The events in the Sahel also nearly coincide with the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, where the entire continent openly sought engagement with Russia and either directly or indirectly expressed disillusionment with global politics unfairly skewed in the affluent West’s favor.
But what was stunning was the leaders of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Uganda, and Burkina Faso’s charismatic coup leader and army officer, Captain Ibrahim Traore, openly attacking the West.
They slammed its hegemonistic policies; “neo-colonial” exploitation that has perpetuated poverty in the continent; mentioned its slave trade over five centuries; imposed sanctions on vulnerable countries as a retaliatory measure; and expressed gratitude towards the former Soviet Union for backing its post-War anti-Colonial anti-Apartheid freedom struggles from European powers.
The Kremlin has released the full transcript of the addresses by various African heads of state in the summit meeting and their separate bilateral meetings with President Vladimir Putin.
‘Russia Involved But Not Interfering’
The current emerging conflict, however, threatens to engulf the entire Sahel region and possibly spread to parts of the Maghreb if Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali (N-BF-M) clash with Nigeria and France. While Paris and Moscow will not directly clash in the possible regional war, even an initial backing of opposing camps will cause substantial devastation before the two powers arrange a truce.
Russia has attempted to contain the conflict since it has not interfered in the events and the anti-French protests, as observed in official US White House and National Security Council (NSC) statements. Such an act would otherwise prompt its Western rivals to respond and lead to an escalatory spiral of counteractions, which, even if diplomatic, can precipitate a military conflict between the ECOWAS and N-BF-M.
But what marks the episode is the growing anti-French protests and pro-Russia demonstrations over the last year in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR), and the Central African Republic (CAR).
France Failed To Provide Security
CNN quoted Nigerien protestors, who cited the running criticism of still enduring France’s paternalistic colonial attitude that still dictates the country’s policies. A French colony for more than 50 years before its independence in 1960, diplomatic ties between the two countries were strong before the coup.
“But many Nigeriens believe France has continued to act as imperial power when dealing with Niger, robbing it of natural resources and dictating how its leaders steer the economy. Niger is one of the world’s poorest countries and receives hundreds of millions of dollars each year in assistance,” CNN said.
