ECOWAS has issued an ultimatum to the military junta in Niger, warning of military intervention if the generals who staged the coup fail to restore President Bazoum to power.
 |
| General view of the meeting of the Committee of Defense Commands of the Economic Community of West African States on Niger in Abuja, Nigeria on August 2. Photo: AFP/VNA |
On August 15, well-informed sources said that the military commanders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) plan to meet in Ghana on August 8-2 to discuss the the possibility of military intervention in Niger.
The meeting was originally scheduled to take place on August 12, but was later postponed indefinitely for "technical reasons."
The meeting came after ECOWAS leaders last week approved the deployment of a "backup force to restore constitutional order" in Niger following the July 26 coup that led to the ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum. overthrow.
The ECOWAS summit, held in Nigeria's capital Abuja on August 10, also reaffirmed the bloc's desire for a diplomatic solution.
The 2021 Niger presidential election leading to Mohamed Bazoum's victory is seen as a landmark event, ushering in the West African nation's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960s.
The ouster of President Bazoum sent shockwaves across West Africa, where Mali and Burkina Faso also experienced coups and the military came to power.
ECOWAS has issued an ultimatum to the military junta in Niger, warning of military intervention if the coup generals do not restore President Bazoum to power by August 6.
However, the deadline for this ultimatum has passed and the coup leadership in Niger has so far been unwilling to engage in negotiations promoted by the international community.
Analysts say that ECOWAS's military intervention in Niger will affect the operation of the bloc as well as cause political instability due to the division within the bloc.
In a related development on the same day, the Kremlin said that in a phone call with Mali's military junta leader Assimi Goita, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a peaceful solution to the crisis.
The Kremlin stressed the importance of resolving the situation in Niger through peaceful political and diplomatic means.
On the same day, within the framework of a visit to West Africa, German Development Minister Svenja Schulze said that the coup in Niger "has hindered and exacerbated complex development challenges in this country and beyond the region. the Sahel region.”
On behalf of the Sahel Union, Schulze called for the immediate release of President Bazoum and the full restoration of constitutional order in Niger.
The coup in Niger is raising concerns about the risk of pushing the West Africa region into a spiral of instability. The Sahel region of West Africa is one of the poorest regions in the world and faces a lingering terrorist threat. The region is therefore at risk of falling further into instability if the crisis in Niger worsens.
(According to https://www.vietnamplus.vn/tuong-linh-cua-ecowas-thao-luan-kha-nang-can-thiep-quan-su-vao-niger/889256.vnp)
.
