Chiefs of staff of the armies of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) approved a date for possible military intervention in Niger.
The date will be kept secret for the time being, ECOWAS Commissioner Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah said at press conference at the end of the a two-day emergency meeting of the grouping’s military top brass in Accra, capital of Ghana, on Friday.
“The plan for intervention in Niger will be used a last resort if diplomacy fails,” he said, noting that “ECOWAS will not enter an avoidable war.” Musah affirmed that military option could be inevitable due to what he called stubbornness of the Nigerien coup leaders.
The plan takes into account the humanitarian issue that could result from the potential military operation, he pointed out. Under the plan, the deployment of ECOWAS standby force will remain in Niger for a short time with a view to restoring the constitutional authority and reinstating the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, Musah went on.
He added that the ECOWAS taskforce will not include troops from countries ruled by military regimes. He was apparently referring to Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.
Source: Kuwait News Agency