West African leaders prepare standby force for Niger as 'last resort'
West Africa's regional bloc Ecowas on Thursday ordered the activation of a standby force for possible use against the junta that that has taken power in Niger, saying it wanted a peaceful resolution but would consider military intervention "as a last resort".
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After emergency talks in the Nigerian capital Abuja, Ecowas pledged to enforce sanctions, travel bans and asset freezes on those preventing the return to power of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held by soldiers since 26 July.
"No option is taken off the table, including the use of force as a last resort," said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the bloc's chair.
"I hope that through our collective effort we can bring about a peaceful resolution as a roadmap to restoring stability and democracy in Niger," he said. "All is not lost yet."
An official statement included a resolution asking the bloc's defence chiefs to "activate the Ecowas Standby Force with all its elements immediately".
Another resolution spoke of ordering "the deployment of the Ecowas Standby Force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger", immediately followed by another that spoke of restoring such order "through peaceful means".
US backing
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced support for the bloc's efforts.
"The United States appreciates the determination of Ecowas to explore all options for the peaceful resolution of the crisis," he said on Thursday.
In a statement, Blinken also said that the US would hold the junta accountable for the safety of Bazoum, his family, and detained members of the government.
Separately, there were reports that Niger's junta had warned the US that they would kill Bazoum if other countries attempted any military intervention to restore him.
Speaking anonymously, two Western officials told the Associated Press that representatives of the junta told US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland of the threat to Bazoum when she visited the country earlier this week.
Logistical questions
An Ecowas force could take weeks or longer to assemble, potentially leaving room for negotiations.
Thursday's statement did not spell out how the force would be funded, which countries would participate or how many troops and what hardware they could contribute.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the summit, Côte d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara said he considered the detention of Bazoum "a terrorist act" and promised to supply a battalion of troops.
"We want democracy in our sub-region. We do not accept, we will not accept coups d'etat. These putschists must go. If they don't let Bazoum out to be able to exercise his mandate, I think we should move ahead and get them out," he said.
In further comments later on Thursday, Outtara said that Nigeria and Benin would also contribute troops.
"The putschists can decide to leave tomorrow and there won't be any military intervention – it all depends on them," he said.
Ecowas is split over the coup in Niger, with suspended member states Mali and Burkina Faso, also ruled by military governments, vowing to defend the Nigerien junta.
After a string of coups since 2020 and growing militant activity, Ecowas leaders said last year that they were determined to create a standby force of thousands of troops.
(with Reuters)
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