APA-Dakar (Senegal) – For the time being, ECOWAS favours peaceful dialogue as a way out of the political crisis in Niger.
However, Senegal says it will send troops to Niger if the Economic Community of West African States decides to use force to restore constitutional order.
At the Senegalese government’s traditional one-on-one meeting with journalists on Thursday, August 3, Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall said Senegal would go for two reasons.
“The first is that we are part of a community organisation that has decided to do so, and Senegal is a member of ECOWAS,” the head of Senegal’s diplomacy explained, adding that the country “cannot evade the decisions” of the community institution.
“The second reason is that Senegal is convinced that these coups must be stopped,” the minister added.
ECOWAS has imposed economic and financial sanctions on Niger in response to the overthrow of Mohamed Bazoum’s regime by the country’s defense and security forces, which are grouped under the National Council for the Protection of the Homeland (CNSP).
The regional organisation, which is demanding the release and reinstatement of the democratically elected president, has given the new authorities a one-week ultimatum and has not ruled out the use of force if its demands are not met.
Niger’s junta, through its leader who delivered a message to the nation on Wednesday evening, described the ECOWAS sanctions as “inhumane” and “unfair” and expressed surprise at their unprecedented nature, “going so far as to confiscate Niger’s assets or threaten to use force to restore the deposed regime.”
“Why now and not in Mali, Guinea or Burkina? Because this is one coup too many,” replied the Senegalese Foreign Minister coolly, adding that by being more lenient with the Malian, Guinean and Burkinabe juntas, “ECOWAS wanted to test its patience and its mechanism to the end by negotiating transitions.”
But, according to the minister, the juntas in these countries have not achieved the objectives for which they claimed to have seized power.
“ECOWAS has now thought that we must put an end to this. The (Senegalese) military will leave. The (ECOWAS) staffs are meeting to see the modus operandi,” she concluded.
Faced with this mobilisation of the international community against the coup in Niger, Bamako and Ouagadougou expressed their support for the new rulers of Niamey and warned against any armed intervention, which would amount to a declaration of war against Mali and Burkina.
AC/lb/as/APA