On the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, Russia’s foreign minister said the planned ECOWAS invasion of Niger would be devastating for thousands of people.
“I don’t think the invasion will be good for anyone,” the Russian diplomatic chief said from Johannesburg on Thursday, noting that “a force is already being created in another part of ECOWAS to counter the invasion.”
This was a reference to the support by the juntas of Burkina Faso and Mali to their military rulers in Niger in the event of an ECOWAS military intervention to restore constitutional order.
Interviewed by Russia’s TASS news agency at a press conference on the sidelines of the BRICS summit currently being held in South Africa, Lavrov said he really didn’t wish “such a scenario” on African countries.
“It would be devastating and destructive for a large number of countries and thousands of people,” the Russian diplomat warned.
Moscow favours peaceful resolution
This is the first time that the Russian foreign minister has publicly commented on the political situation in Niger and the military option being mulled by ECOWAS to restore constitutional order.
In a press release issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday, August 11, Moscow had taken a position against any armed intervention in Niger, believing that the use of force would lead to “serious destabilisation” of the country and the entire sub-region.
Russia’s announcement came a day after ECOWAS announced the activation and deployment of its standby force to intervene in Niger should diplomacy fail. The African Union’’ Peace and Security Council (PSC) said it had taken note of the decision, but stopped short of giving the green light to military action, which is also opposed by Niger’s neighbours, notably Algeria, Burkina Faso and Mali.
“We believe that a military approach to resolving the crisis in Niger could lead to a prolonged confrontation in this African country, as well as a serious destabilization of the situation in the entire Sahara and Sahel region,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its latest press release.
This statement echoes that of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who, in the wake of the July 26 coup, condemned the breakdown of constitutional order while calling for “the swiftest possible restoration of legality in the country and restraint on all sides to avoid loss of life.”
Since the beginning of the political crisis, demonstrations in support of the junta have multiplied in the capital, Niamey, as well as in the country’s main cities, and each time demonstrators waved Russian flags appealing to Vladimir Putin.
AYB/ac/lb/as/APA