The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced on Friday that if diplomatic efforts fail, it has agreed to a “D-Day” for a possible military operation to bring back democracy in Niger. It emphasized that it would not engage in endless dialogue with the defiant junta.
These remarks were made after a two-day meeting of West African army chiefs, during which time they discussed the possibility of using force in Niger and worked out the logistics and strategy involved. According to ECOWAS, this would only be done as a last resort.
During the closing ceremony, Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, stated, “We are ready to go whenever the order is given.” “The D-Day has also been determined, but we will not disclose this information.”
He stressed that the bloc’s first choice was still negotiations.
Initially, the junta did not react.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea are also governed by the military, but the remaining 15 members of the bloc are willing to contribute to the combined force. Additionally, Cape Verde is not participating.