Following remarks made by President Alassane Ouattara of the Ivory Coast on Monday that they said amounted to “praising armed action” against Niamey, the coup leaders of Niger recalled their nation’s representative in Abidjan.
The military leaders criticized Ouattara’s “eagerness” to “see this illegal and senseless aggression against Niger come to pass” in reference to the approval given by Niger’s west African neighbors for potential armed intervention to restore democracy in the country.
Ouattara stated that the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had decided that a military action should “start as soon as possible” upon his arrival back in Abuja on Thursday. He stated that Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Benin would all provide a battalion of between 850 and 1,100 soldiers. He remarked, “The putschists can choose to depart tomorrow morning and there would be no military intervention. We’re committed to bringing President (Mohamed) Bazoum back. The body’s “haste” “attests to the manipulation orchestrated by certain outside powers,” which it did not name, according to the statement from the coup leaders in Niger.
Since Ouattara’s comments “went beyond the common attitude of the sub-regional organization ECOWAS,” “the (leaders) and the government of Niger declare their utter disapproval of them… and choose to consult before calling the Niger ambassador back to Abidjan. ECOWAS chiefs ordered the deployment of a “standby force” on Thursday while reiterating their desire for a diplomatic solution to restore Bazoum. They did not provide any additional information regarding any potential West African military intervention.
