In response to the recent coup in Niger and the military’s failure to comply with an ultimatum to reinstate the elected president, leaders from the West African bloc ECOWAS are gathering for an emergency summit on Thursday. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is seeking diplomatic avenues to resolve the crisis, while acknowledging the possibility of using force if necessary.
The summit, taking place in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, is expected to yield significant decisions, according to a statement released by the 15-nation organization on Tuesday. ECOWAS has been grappling with a series of coups within its member states since 2020.
Following the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, ECOWAS had granted the military rulers a deadline until the past Sunday to restore Bazoum to power or face the potential use of force. However, the coup leaders remained unyielding, and the deadline expired without any action taken.
In a defiant move against international pressure, the coup leaders introduced a new government, as announced in a televised decree on Thursday. The newly formed 21-member administration will be led by Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, while generals from the military governing council will oversee the defense and interior ministries.
The prospect of military intervention in Niger, a fragile nation among the world’s poorest, has sparked deliberations within ECOWAS and raised concerns from neighboring countries such as Algeria and Russia.
Niger’s neighboring countries Mali and Burkina Faso, both under military rule following their own coups, have warned that an intervention would be tantamount to a declaration of war against their nations.
Despite these challenges, hopes for productive discussions remain. A joint mission involving representatives from ECOWAS, the UN, and the African Union was proposed to visit Niamey, Niger’s capital, but was rejected by the coup leaders.
The involvement of a former emir of the Nigerian city of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has added a new dimension to the mediation efforts. Sanusi revealed that he had engaged with coup leader General Abdourahamane Tiani to mediate the crisis, though he emphasized that he was not an official government emissary.
Nigeria, the current chair of ECOWAS, has adopted a firm stance against the recent coup, considering it the fifth in Niger since gaining independence from France in 1960. Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo stressed the significance of the moment, stating that the future of ECOWAS hangs in the balance following coups in several member states. Embalo called for the banning of coups and reiterated support for President Bazoum as Niger’s recognized leader.
