With the end of the deadline set by the Economic Community of West African States “ECOWAS” for the coup leaders in Niger to return President Mohamed Bazoum to office, all eyes are on whether it will implement its promise of military intervention, and what its capabilities are to take this rare collective step.
ECOWAS gave the coup leaders a week to restore power to Bazoum, during the group’s emergency meeting in Nigeria on July 30, otherwise the option of military intervention would not be ruled out. Which means the deadline expires this week.
intervention plan
It seems that the group is moving in the direction of implementing its threat, as the chiefs of staff of the armies of its countries met in Abuja, on Friday, and the commissioner for political affairs and security in the group, Abdel Fattah Musa, announced that “at this meeting all elements of a possible military intervention were identified, including the necessary resources, As well as how and when we will deploy the force.”
However, he did not reveal the date, referring to the fact that the bloc will not reveal to the coup plotters when and where the strike will take place, and it is a decision that will be taken by the heads of state.
At the same time, ECOWAS Commissioner Omar Ali Touray announced, in a press statement, on Friday, that ECOWAS wants “diplomatic efforts to succeed” and gives “the coup plotters in Niger every opportunity to undo what they have done.”
What is ECOWAS?
The name “ECOWAS” is called the Economic Community of West African States, and in French it is called “Cediao”, and it is a bloc that includes 15 countries: Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia Sierra Leone, Benin, and Cape Verde.
The group does not agree on a single opinion regarding the Niger coup. Mali and Burkina Faso issued a joint statement that considers any military intervention against Niger as a “declaration of war” on the two countries as well, and they refused, along with Guinea Conakry, to participate in the application of sanctions on Niamey.
military capabilities
The military capabilities of the armies of the countries that make up ECOWAS vary in number, equipment and capabilities:
Any military intervention by ECOWAS will depend heavily on Nigeria for its great human and military capabilities; Its army consists of 223,000 personnel, in addition to possessing modern aircraft and fighters. Besides military factors, Nigeria has a border of 1,600 km with Niger. The Senegalese army has a number of 17 thousand fighters, and it ranks No. 125 in the world. Senegalese Foreign Minister Aissata Tal Sall confirmed that her country will participate in the military intervention. Benin is one of the southern neighbors of Niger, its army consists of 5 thousand people, and it ranks 144th in the world.
Why insist on military intervention?
Researcher in African affairs, Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Karim, warns, in his interview with “Sky News Arabia”, that military intervention “will lead the region to a state of chaos.”
This collective insistence on this type of intervention is due to:
ECOWAS wants to end the coup in Niger to stop the fever of growing coups in the west of the continent, as several countries are eligible to catch up with Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and more recently Niger. Niger is the center of the presence of the forces of France, the United States and Germany, which undertake the tasks of combating terrorist groups in West Africa. Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana are leading the trend of military intervention, and Nigerian diplomacy is working hard to create an appropriate climate for the intervention process, and has sent delegates to Algeria and Libya. France will support the ECOWAS intervention because it serves its interests.
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2023-08-05 12:27:25