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Tension is brewing between Niger’s military authorities and Côte d’Ivoire as the coup leaders recalled its envoy in Abidjan after remarks from Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara
Tension is brewing between Niger’s military authorities and Côte d’Ivoire as the coup leaders recalled its envoy in Abidjan after remarks from Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara. The Ivorian President was reported to have said after attending the ECOWAS meeting on August 10, that the heads of state had agreed to start military operations as soon as possible.
The terse statement issued by Niger’s military authorities said that the unusual declaration by President Ouattara and his eagerness to carry out an aggression against Niger which was illegal and senseless reflected an order addressed to him and certain of his peers in the ECOWAS by other external powers.
It may be recalled that Ouattara is reported to have said that Côte d’Ivoire would contribute a battalion of up to one thousand one hundred troops, alongside Nigeria and Benin. Importantly, last week, ECOWAS leaders ordered the deployment of a standby force but gave no details on a possible military intervention. As a first task, most of ECOWAS leaders stressed the need for a diplomatic engagement to restore President Bazoumoun. Countries like the US, EU, and international organizations like the UN endorsed that view of using force as only the last resort.
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In the meantime, Mali’s military leader, Assimi Goita, said that he recently held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the current situation in Niger. He shared this information through social media. Goita stated that Putin emphasized the significance of a peaceful resolution to ensure stability in the Sahel region. These developments are taking place when Western nations are apprehensive that Niger might follow the path of Mali, where a previous coup led to the involvement of Russian Wagner Group mercenaries in counter-insurgency efforts.
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Mali’s strong man revealed that Putin has urged the restoration of constitutional order in Niger, while Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner group, expressed support for the coup. Interestingly, there has been a notable surge in pro-Russian sentiment in Niger since the coup, evident in rallies where junta supporters waved Russian flags.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently in a media interview said that Russia and Wagener were trying to take advantage of the situation though they might not be directly involved in the coup. The US also expressed disapproval over Niger’s military rulers’ threats to try detained President Mohamed Bazoum for high treason, warning that the move would exacerbate tensions. Blinken made history by traveling to Niger in March on the highest-level visit by a US official. Blinken commended Nigerian President Tinubu’s efforts in leading ECOWAS and maintained pressure on Niger’s military leaders.
