By Alpha Abu
The regional bloc ECOWAS has affirmed its use of force option, to reverse the coup in Niger, is still on the cards, following a meeting of West African Military Chiefs in Ghana, on Thursday, to discuss the crisis.
Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah- the organisation’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security in a BBC interview asserted the resolve of ECOWAS to intervene militarily in a bid to reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.
“If push comes to shove we are going into Niger with our contingent-owned equipment to make sure that we restore constitutional order”, and accused the junta of embarking on a ‘’cat and mouse’’ game.
He said if democracy-loving partners want to support ECOWAS they can do so but the bloc won’t be going around cap in hand begging and would rather do what is right for the region.
But he said there’s still time for junta to “pull back from the brink”, insisting the use of force will be a last resort.
Ambassador Musah denied speculation that France was behind ECOWAS’ military posture.
The army chiefs from the various countries in West Africa were tight lipped at the end of the meeting in Ghana, but already a Standby Force has been put in place for likely military intervention after a deadline by the bloc for the junta to relinquish power in the earlier stages of the takeover, expired.
Junta –led Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso have all voiced their opposition to the use of force to restore constitutional order in Niger.
Press Secretary in the Office of the President of Sierra Leone, Solomon Jamiru had told the media that the country will go by any decision reached by ECOWAS regarding the crisis in the Sahel country.
President Bazoum who was elected into office in 2021 was on the 26th July, toppled by soldiers led by the Head of the Presidential Guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tiane.
The coup has been widely condemned, with calls for the release of President Bazoum who remain detained alongside his family, in the basement of the presidential palace.
The coup leaders cited insecurity in the country as the main reason for the putsch but reports say President Bazoum was reviewing the structure of the army and intent on replacing Gen. Tiane, fuelling suggestions that the coup was self-interest based.
Efforts to talk the junta out of power have so far not been successful, with the soldiers further raising the stakes when they announced recently that they will be putting the deposed president on trial for Treason, which was out -rightly condemned by the international community.
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