EPAP President Tebboune of Algeria
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 02:30
Algeria strongly opposes military intervention in Niger after the coup d’état in that country. That is what the president of the North African country told journalists. According to President Tebboune, a military intervention “could destabilize the entire Sahel region”. He also said that Algeria “does not use violence against its neighbours”. Algeria has a long border with Niger.
On Friday it became clear that a large number of West African countries, united in the Ecowas partnership, have a plan ready for a military intervention in Niger. Nigeria, the most important country within Ecowas, says it will no longer tolerate coups. There have been more coups d’état in West Africa in recent years, in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso. Those three countries are members of ECOWAS, just like Niger, but all are suspended.
The coup plotters in Niger were given until yesterday to withdraw, but have not done so. Heavy economic sanctions were imposed by Ecowas last week after the coup, and Nigeria has also halted the supply of electricity to poverty-stricken Niger.
Nonviolent solutions
Nigerian President Tinubu had asked his country’s senate for support for such a military intervention yesterday. But the parliamentarians have called on Tinubu to look first at other non-violent solutions to the conflict. The Senate points to the “existing cordial relationship between Nigeriens and Nigerians”.
Last week, Niger’s democratically elected President Bazoum was deposed by the army. In an op-ed a few days ago, he wrote that his country is under attack and asked the international community to restore order in the country.
2023-08-06 00:30:10
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