The deadline for the Niger military junta to reinstate the deposed president of the country was due to expire on Sunday, although the regional group that has threatened military intervention faced strong calls to seek more peaceful means.
The neighboring Senate Nigeria He positioned himself on Saturday against the plan of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and urged the president of Nigeria, the current president of the bloc, to seek alternative options to the use of force. ECOWAS can still go ahead as final decisions are made by consensus of member states, although the warning before the deadline raised questions about intervention.
Algeria y Chadtwo neighboring countries that are not part of ECOWAS and have strong armies, have said they oppose the use of force or will not intervene militarily, while Mali y Burkina Fasogoverned by military juntas, have said they would take the intervention as a “War declaration”.
The President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoumsaid, said he was being held “as a hostage” by the mutinous soldiers. An ECOWAS delegation was unable to meet with the junta’s leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who analysts say led the coup to avoid being replaced. Now the junta has contacted the Russian mercenary group Wagner for help, while cutting security ties with the country’s former colonial power, France.
Hours before the deadline on Sunday, hundreds of youths joined security forces in the dark streets of Niger’s capital, Niamey, to stand guard at a dozen roundabouts until morning, checking cars for weapons and fulfilling the junta’s call to watch out for spies and foreign intervention.