ECOWAS Deadline Comes To An End; New Prime Minister Appointed In Niger!
As the deadline of one week set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the release of Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum and his return to power came to an end on Monday (August 7), there is still no sign of military action against Niger.
The situation has given the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), which is the ruling military junta of Niger, as well as leaders of Burkina Faso and Mali, who have referred to the decisions of ECOWAS member states as bluff and Westerners’ dictates, an opportunity to ridicule the ECOWAS.
Despite the circumstances, some Western media reported on ECOWAS’ military preparations with the support of the United States and France; moreover, Niger’s military also mentioned a Western country’s involvement in inciting war against the African country in their own reports.
ECOWAS spokesperson Emos Lungu announced that the next meeting of the organization’s leaders will be held on Thursday (August 10) in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.
It seems that until this meeting takes place, the ECOWAS delegation will once again travel to Niger’s capital city Niamey to negotiate with the CNSP leaders.
However, the CNSP has taken advantage of ECOWAS’ delay and appointed Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, an economist and former Minister of Finance, as Niger’s new Prime Minister. The council has also replaced the commander of the presidential guard, the inspector general of the Army, and the chief of staff to the president.
Negotiations between Jewish diplomat and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the United States Victoria Nuland and Niger’s ruling military junta have also been unsuccessful, and in response to this failure, the US government has suspended its financial aid to Niger.
The CNSP has also issued a statement addressing the United States as saying that we don’t want your money; Use it to fund Victoria Nuland’s weight loss program.
Concurrent with the foreign threats against Niger’s ruling junta, senior military officials in the country requested assistance from the Wagner Group, a Russian state-funded private military company (PMC).
Algeria and Chad, who are Niger’s northern and eastern neighboring countries, have also announced that they do not agree with the military option against Niger and will try to find a political solution to the crisis.
The lack of support from Algeria and Chad weakens the military option against Niger and turns the northern borders of Nigeria and Benin into the only route open for ECOWAS to take military action against Niger.
Read more: Coup In Niger; France In Turmoil
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