The military junta in Niger who deposed the country’s elected head of state, President Bazoum has warned against any plan to intervene militarily in the west African nation. This comes in the aftermath of the coup that ended the civilian regime in the country.
This warning was made by the military leaders in Niger on Saturday in a statement read on Nigerien national television. The warning came ahead of a summit of the ECOWAS heads of state holding in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
In response to the coup the leaders of the West African regional bloc of ECOWAS have gathered in Nigeria’s capital to consider the appropriate measures to ensure the return of constitutional order in the country.
The emergency summit in Abuja is hosted by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu who recently took over power in a very controversial election, which is yet to be settled in court.
He is hosting the heads of state of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union. The Monetary Union is also known as UEMOA, which is its French acronym.
In consideration at the summit includes some economic measures to force the military junta in Niger to clamp down. This includes suspending Niger from ECOWAS and UEMOA, as well as cutting it off from the West African regional central bank.
The measures the regional leaders are considering will also see Niger under the coup plotters cut off from the regional financial market, as well as the closure of boarders with other neighbouring states.
President Bazoum was deposed in a palace coup organised by his own presidential guard. General Abdourahmane Tchiani – also known as Omar Tchiani, who is the head of the presidential guard has since announced himself as the new ruler of Niger.
The former president has since the coup has been held in detention by the coup plotters, amongst who were men who he trusted for his own protection.
“The objective of the [ECOWAS] meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are non-members of ECOWAS, and certain Western countries,” said the Nigerien military spokesperson Colonel Amadou.
“We want to once more remind ECOWAS or any other adventurer of our firm determination to defend our homeland,” he said.
ECOWAS has in the past played very active role, including taking military actions in restoring normalcy in member countries
