Mohamed Bazoum’s party, the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Taraya, which was in power in Niger before the military coup, has expressed opposition to a potential military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This position was outlined in a statement by the party.
“After a debate within the party, the majority opposed a military intervention by ECOWAS,” stated the party of the ousted President Bazoum Mohamed in a note published on September 15, 2023. They emphasized the importance of strengthening the party and distancing it from any military intervention in the search for crisis resolution. Simultaneously, the party demanded the reinstatement of Niger’s President, Mohamed Bazoum, who is also the party’s president.
This situation stems from July 26 when a group of military personnel from the Presidential Guard staged a coup, announcing the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum. To govern the country, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Republic was established, led by the Commander of the Presidential Guard, Abdourahamane Tchiani. ECOWAS leaders imposed severe sanctions on the coup leaders and demanded the release of Mr. Bazoum, threatening to use force.
On August 18, the Commissioner for Peace and Security of ECOWAS, Abdel-Fatau Musah, announced that the exact date for the start of the military intervention in Niger had been determined but had not been officially announced.
The Bénin as a Pawn On September 13, the junta announced the denunciation of a military cooperation agreement with Bénin, accusing it of authorizing the deployment of troops on its territory for a potential ECOWAS military intervention.
According to the new Nigerien authorities, Bénin had authorized the deployment of soldiers and military equipment as part of a potential ECOWAS intervention. Consequently, the Nigerien military junta decided to denounce a military cooperation agreement concluded in 2022 with Bénin.
As of the latest information, the armed forces of Senegal and Ghana continue to prepare for a potential military intervention in Niger, despite Nigeria now favoring the diplomatic option to resolve the crisis. According to multiple sources, the ship carrying Senegalese troops was expected to dock at the port of Cotonou, Bénin, a few days ago, but this did not happen due to additional approval procedures. The Senegalese military is ready for redeployment but awaits a political decision.
According to the French media, Ghana has also agreed to send troops to Niger, despite financial difficulties. In Nigeria, there is no final decision on sending troops, whereas President Bola Tinubu previously expressed support for the operation. It is worth noting that Bénin, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Senegal had announced that they would send intervention troops to Niger under the auspices of ECOWAS.
This declaration comes as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger signed a charter aimed at creating an organization for collective defense in the key region of the Sahel. This was announced by the transitional President of Mali, Assimi Goïta.
“I signed today with the heads of state of Burkina Faso and Niger the Charter of Liptako-Gourma, establishing the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to create an architecture of collective defense and mutual assistance for the benefit of our countries,” he wrote on his social network page (formerly Twitter).
The historical Liptako-Gourma area is located in the border regions of the three states. Radical armed groups are now active in its territory.
Refraining from an Invasion Scenario in Niger On September 13, Russia called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to refrain from any invasion scenario in Niger and emphasized the extreme risks of the situation not only in the Republic but also in the entire Sahel-Saharan region. This was stated by the spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, during a press briefing at the Eastern Economic Forum.
According to the diplomat, Moscow continues to “closely monitor the situation” in Niger, where President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown on July 26, and the military took power. She emphasized that events in the country are currently evolving “in a peaceful scenario”: a new government composed of representatives of the military and civilians has been formed and is functioning, while ECOWAS and several regional states are taking mediation measures for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
“We certainly welcome these efforts; we have said this many times, and in this context, we note the proposal of the current ECOWAS President, namely the President of Nigeria [Bola Tinubu], for a nine-month transitional period in Niger,” Zakharova emphasized. “It is very important to continue dialogue between this country and the community to find compromise solutions. We are convinced that a military invasion of this country by ECOWAS troops, which we hear about from the statements of some politicians, carries extremely serious consequences for the extreme deterioration of the situation and the stabilization of the situation not only in this country but also in the entire Sahel-Saharan region.”
She also noted that many states in the region have opposed the invasion scenario and, in some cases, such as Mali and Burkina Faso, have “expressed their readiness to support Niger” in the event of armed conflict.
