Niger: The armed forces are on maximum alert
In a message broadcast on the radio, Niger’s Chief of Staff ordered the country’s armed forces to be put on maximum alert.
«As soon as you receive this message, put all your personnel on maximum alert», declared Moussa Salaou Barmou, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.
The decision was taken to avoid any surprises, in a context where threats of aggression still hang over the country.
Despite calls for diplomatic action, several countries fear that military intervention would plunge the region into instability.
A few days after the coup that brought the military to power, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, ECOWAS imposed heavy economic and financial sanctions against the country and threatened the junta with military intervention to restore constitutional order.
The junta has refused to allow the deposed president to return to power.
on August 24, Niamey, hostile to this ultimatum, authorised the intervention of the armies of Burkina Faso and Mali, in solidarity with the ruling Niger army, on its territory «in the event of aggression».
However, the decision to intervene did not meet with unanimous approval within ECOWAS.
The most striking opposition to armed intervention comes from Nigeria, where the Senate has suggested that President Bola Tinubu, who is also current President of ECOWAS, should open a dialogue.
The divergent opinions within ECOWAS have once again revived the talks.
We therefore call on ECOWAS, in the interests of its peoples, to give priority to diplomatic means of resolving the crisis, rather than allowing itself to be influenced by France.
Fayçal Badie
