Antinekar Al-Hassan, political advisor to Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, warned that the military intervention by the forces of the Economic Community of West African “ECOWAS”, if it took place, would put the life of the president and his family in danger.
In his statements to Sky News Arabia, Al-Hassan attributed this to the fact that the attack could lead to the injury of the president, whether by mistake by the attacking forces or by the army forces that turned against him.
The political advisor to the president revealed that Bazoum has been in his residence in the Presidency of the Republic since last July 26 (the date of the coup), and he is in detention by the putschists.
Airspace closure
Al-Hassan’s fears come amid a cautious atmosphere prevailing in Niger after the deadline set by “ECOWAS” for the putschists to retreat and return power to Bazoum, on Sunday, expired. Otherwise, the option of military intervention to restore it at the hands of “ECOWAS” will not be ruled out.
On the same day, the military junta in Niger announced the closure of the country’s airspace from Sunday until further notice, and attributed this in a statement to the fact that this comes “in the face of the threat of interference, whose features are beginning to become clear from neighboring countries.”
The statement stressed that “any attempt to violate the airspace” will be met with a strong and immediate response.
What happens after the ECOWAS deadline expires?
ECOWAS can still go ahead with its plan; The final decisions are taken unanimously by the member states, but the warnings received from several countries on the eve of the deadline, Sunday, raised questions about the fate of the intervention. For example, Algeria and Chad, two non-ECOWAS neighbors that both have powerful militaries, have said they oppose the use of force. Neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which are also run by military councils, have said that the intervention would amount to a “declaration of war” on them as well. Despite the enthusiasm of the presidency in Nigeria for military action, the President of the Senate in Nigeria urged the authorities in his country, on Saturday, to explore options other than the use of force.
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2023-08-07 11:16:41
