Despite ECOWAS’s one-week deadline to the military junta in Niger to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and restore democracy, the coup leaders have shown defiance.
Efforts by ECOWAS chairman, President Bola Tinubu, to mediate have reached an impasse.
In his efforts as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Tinubu sent a high-powered delegation to broker peace with Tchiani, but the meeting yielded no result.
The 10th Senate-led by Godswill Akpabio also did not approve the letter the President wrote, to seek its consent in mobilising and deploying Nigerian soldiers to Niger.
Following his efforts to end the coup in Niger President Tinubu has been warned by stakeholders against using force on Niger.
Meanwhile, the United States, France, and Germany back ECOWAS’s potential use of force in Niger.
These nations have evacuated their citizens and either partially or entirely suspended financial aid.
The U.S. and Germany currently have military personnel stationed in Niger, with around 1,000 U.S. soldiers and approximately 100 German troops.
The ongoing crisis in Niger mirrors Mali’s situation in 2021, which experienced a military coup leading to foreign military withdrawals.
Both Mali and Burkina Faso, which also faced a coup in 2022, have shown support for Niger, cautioning ECOWAS against military intervention.
Having already closed its border and cut the power supply to Niger, Nigeria might exert further economic pressure on the neighbouring country, aiming to restore democracy.