Niamey [Niger], August 20: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has declared its readiness for military intervention after the coup in Niger, having set a target date for deployment which has not been made public yet.
Niger, along with neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, has developed a defence strategy with "concrete measures" in response if ECOWAS opts for "escalate a war," Nigerien state television announced.
"We are prepared for an attack," Burkina Faso's defence minister, KassoumCoulibaly, said on Saturday after a meeting of representatives of the three countries in the Nigerien capital Niamey. Mali and Burkina Faso, like Niger, have been ruled by the military since coups in their countries.
At the football stadium in Niamey on Saturday, thousands of young men queued up to join the army. ECOWAS declared late on Friday that its forces were ready to intervene in Niger "once the order is given," following the shock coup that took place just over three weeks ago. A specific date for an intervention was not released. All options, including a diplomatic solution, remain on the table, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Abdel-FatauMusah said. Military chiefs from nine out of the 15 member countries deliberated during a two-day meeting in Ghana's capital, Accra. An ECOWAS mission will initially travel to Niger, according to Musah.
If this fails, the regional bloc will resort to a military solution to restore constitutional order in Niger. A date for a potential military action has already been set, but cannot be disclosed publicly, the ECOWAS commissioner said. All member states except those ruled by the military, as well as Cape Verde, have reportedly agreed to participate.
Also on Saturday, a UN delegation in Niamey spoke with Nigerien Prime Minister LamineZeine. There is no crisis without a solution, and in dialogue you always find a solution, UN Special Representative for West Africa Leonardo Santos Simao said on state television. New US Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon also arrived in Niamey on Saturday to boost efforts to resolve the political crisis.
However, many questions still remain regarding the intervention. In Nigeria, the parliament would need to approve the operation. The Ghanaian parliament has also resisted deploying troops so far.
Source: Qatar Tribune