Niger: The Nigerien junta recalls the Nigerien ambassador following Alassane Ouattara’s tactless comments
The new leaders of Niger, angered by the Ivorian President’s disparaging remarks about their country’s situation last week, have announced the recall «for consultation» of the Nigerien ambassador in Abidjan. They accuse President Alassane Ouattara of “promoting” the armed aggression against Niger.
Following Ivory Coast’s approval for a potential military intervention in Niger to restore constitutional order, the military in power in Niamey reproach Ouattara for his «haste” in wanting to see this «forbidden and senseless aggression against Niger» take place.
Let’s recall that the Ivorian President returned to Abuja last Thursday after participating in an extraordinary ECOWAS summit on the Niger crisis, where he announced that the institution’s Presidents had agreed for the planned military operation to start soon to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, who was overthrown in a coup on July 26.
«The Chiefs of Staff will have further discussions to finalize things, but they have the agreement of the conference of Heads of State for the operation to start as soon as possible», he declared, adding that his country would send a contingent of “a battalion” of 850 to 1,100 men, alongside Nigeria and Benin.
«The coup leaders can decide to leave as early as tomorrow morning, and there will be no military intervention, it all depends on them», he insisted.
«We are determined to reinstall President Bazoum in his functions», he continued.
These statements, according to the CNSP (National Council for the Safeguard of the People), are rushed and «show manipulation orchestrated by certain external powers».
The Nigerien military junta rejects these remarks by President Alassane Ouattara, which it believes go beyond the common position of ECOWAS.
«That is why the CNSP and the government of Niger express their total rejection of the statements (…) which go beyond the common position of the sub-regional organization, itself devoid of legal basis, and decide to recall the ambassador of Niger in Abidjan for consultation», it announced.
During last week’s Abuja summit, the regional institution had announced that it favored the diplomatic route to reintegrate Bazoum but did not rule out the military option.
It decided to deploy the organization’s «standby force», without providing details on the timetable or the modalities of a potential military intervention by the organization.
Marc NGUESSAN
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