The sociopolitical situation in Niger is heavily influencing that in Côte d’Ivoire. According to an article published by franceinfo, the country of President Alassane Ouattara could experience various effects, particularly on the political and security fronts.
In response to the unfolding situation in Niger, the Ivorian president has proposed the swift deployment of the ECOWAS standby force. It is planned that Côte d’Ivoire will contribute around 1000 soldiers and collaborate with Nigeria, Senegal, and Benin to organize the military operation in Niger. For this, the Ivorian capital faces several challenges related to the Nigerien situation.
Regarding security, Abidjan considers that the rise in terrorist activities and the withdrawal of the Barkhane force from its northern zone could contribute to the expansion of active terrorist groups in the Sahel, potentially accelerating their infiltration into coastal countries.
In political terms, the potential formation of a northern alliance comprising Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and possibly Guinea could undermine Côte d’Ivoire’s political standing in the sub-region. Furthermore, this could also lead to the downfall of ECOWAS.
Military juntas are known to criticize democracies as being flawed or hypocritical. It appears that these criticisms are aimed directly at Alassane Ouattara, accusing him of amending the Constitution to secure a third term and faulting him for not condemning similar military coups, alluding to the situation in Chad.
While this holds true, international relations play a role, as juntas are aligning themselves with Russia, while France maintains a strong alliance with Côte d’Ivoire. President Bazoum, who was ousted by the coup on July 26, also represents a steadfast ally of France.
