ECOWAS chiefs of staff meet Thursday and Friday to discuss the situation in Niger

Military chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are set to convene in Ghana on Thursday and Friday to discuss a potential military intervention in Niger, according to regional military and political sources as reported by AFP on Tuesday.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Saturday but was postponed due to "technical reasons." The new timing comes a week after ECOWAS leaders decided to deploy a "reserve force" to restore constitutional order in Niger following the coup on July 26 that ousted democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum. 

However, no specific timeline has been established for this potential intervention.

While several member states of ECOWAS, such as Ivory Coast, have expressed readiness to send forces to Niger, ECOWAS, currently presided over by Nigeria, has affirmed its desire to exhaust "diplomatic" avenues before taking any further action.

Calls to avoid military intervention in Niamey have grown louder from various political, religious, and civil society factions due to concerns over exacerbating crises in the Sahel region, which is witnessing increased activities by jihadist groups.

After rejecting numerous mediations, the military council in Niger agreed to receive a delegation of Nigerian Muslim clerics on Saturday. Following meetings with officials in Niamey, the delegation announced that the military regime expressed readiness to resolve the crisis through diplomatic channels.

In contrast to its diplomatic messages, the military council drew criticism from ECOWAS, the United States, and several external parties after announcing its intention to try detained coup leader Bazoum on charges of "high treason."

ECOWAS considered this threat a "new form of provocation" that contradicts the military authorities in Niger's commitment to restoring constitutional order through peaceful means.

The US State Department expressed strong displeasure, stating that this potential action is "entirely unnecessary and unjustified, and will frankly not contribute to a peaceful resolution of this crisis."



AFP