It’s an open secret. ECOWAS gave the Nigerien putschists a week to restore constitutional order, and does not rule out using force if this ultimatum is not respected. In Nigeria, the army is already ready to intervene. Indeed, according to the chief of general staff of the armies of the country, his men are waiting only for the orders of ECOWAS to land in Niamey.
“This is unacceptable”
“You have heard what President (Bola Tinubu) said, if the problems continue, action will be taken. He said that no one would support a military takeover of power. That is unacceptable. We stand up for democracy and it must continue. And we will do exactly what the chair says. We are ready and as soon as we receive the order to intervene, we will,” Musa said, according to RFI.
He says he is absolutely sure to carry out the operation if it starts. “Everyone is retaliating and our president is in discussions with his counterparts in neighbouring countries. We are convinced that the putschists knew that what they were doing would not pass. We are sure to win over them,” he continued.
Threats from Mali and Burkina Faso
Needless to say, Mali and Burkina Faso have already warned ECOWAS against military intervention in Niger. This would lead to a withdrawal of Bamako and Ouagadougou from the sub-regional organization as well as «the adoption of self-defence measures in support of the armed forces and the people of Niger».
