A possible military intervention against Niger by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would amount to a “declaration of war” which would also be directed against Mali and Burkina Faso, say these two countries in a joint press release issued on Monday.
The two states led by soldiers, after putschs, openly support the military junta which overthrew, on July 26 in Niger, the regime of elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
They express “their fraternal solidarity and that of the peoples of Burkina Faso and Mali with the brotherly people of Niger who have decided in all responsibility to take their destiny into their own hands and to assume before history the fullness of their sovereignty”.
Consequently, they are attacking ECOWAS, which has given the new authorities in Niamey seven days to restore constitutional order, under penalty of military intervention and other sanctions.
“Any military intervention against Niger would lead to the withdrawal of Burkina Faso and Mali from ECOWAS, as well as the adoption of self-defense measures in support of the armed forces and the people of Niger”, warn Ouagadougou and Bamako.
The two capitals also warn of “the disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger which could destabilize the whole of the region as was the unilateral intervention of NATO in Libya which was at the origin of the expansion of terrorism in the Sahel and in West Africa”.
They denounce “the persistence” with which regional organizations adopt “sanctions aggravating the suffering of populations and jeopardizing the spirit of Pan-Africanism”, before expressing their refusal “to apply these illegal, illegitimate and inhuman sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger”.
Guinea, another country ruled by a military junta, has joined Mali and Burkina in their move. In a statement signed by General Ibrahima Sory Bangoura, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the National Committee for Assembly and Development (CNRD), which leads Guinea, indicates that “any military intervention would lead de facto to the dislocation of ECOWAS.
For the CNRD, “the sanctions taken by ECOWAS including a military intervention are options which cannot be the solution to the problem”, quite the contrary, they “would lead to a human disaster whose consequences could go beyond the borders of Niger. “.
“The CNRD refrains from applying these illegitimate and inhuman sanctions against the brotherly people and the authorities of Niger, and urges ECOWAS to return to better feelings”, continues the press release, insisting that “the sanctions taken and the threats made at the Summit of July 30, 2023 do not in any way bind the Republic of Guinea”.
The transitional authorities in Conakry believe that, taking into account the situation of “young populations in the ECOWAS region (who) are experiencing a human tragedy in Tunisia and in the Mediterranean, the concern of the leaders of the sub-region should be directed towards the strategic and socio-economic issues for the realization of their aspirations rather than focusing on the fate of deposed presidents”.
By OMA Newsletter N° 1272 of 01/08/2023
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
