Troops of the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) have said they are ready to participate in a standby force that could intervene in Niger.
The Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Gwabin Musa, made this statement know at a meeting held in Accra, Ghana’s Capital yesterday August 17.
“Democracy is what we stand for and encourage. The focus of our gathering is not simply to react to events but to proactively chart a course that results in peace and promotes stability,” he stated.
According to Al Jazeera, all member states except those under military rule and Cape Verde pledged readiness to participate in the standby force. ECOWAS commissioner, Abdel-Fatau Musah, was quoted to have said this.
After presidential guards seized power from President Mohamed Bazoum, ECOWAS issued a 7-day ultimatum to the military to restore the president or risk sanctions, including possible military action.
Burkina Faso and Mali, reacting to the ECOWAS threat, warned that any military intervention in Niger would be declared as an act of war, revealing a fracture in the region between its coastal countries and those in the volatile Sahel.
