Niger’s military-appointed prime minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, visited Chad for a “working visit” following West African states discussing military intervention to reverse his country’s coup.
Zeine emphasized the importance of good neighborliness and fraternity and reiterated the country’s independence. The visit came after military chiefs from the regional bloc ECOWAS were scheduled to meet in Ghana to discuss possible intervention in Niger.
The meeting, originally scheduled for last Saturday but postponed, flows from an ECOWAS summit that approved the deployment of a “standby force to restore constitutional order” in Niger.
Analysts argue that military intervention would be operationally risky and politically hazardous due to divisions within ECOWAS ranks and fears of worsening the Sahel’s chronic instability. However, the bloc’s insistence on a diplomatic outcome has been strongly supported by Washington.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes that there is still room for diplomacy in achieving that result, as pressure on military leaders responsible for disrupting the constitutional order in Niger is mounting. Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a “peaceful political and diplomatic” resolution to the crisis in a phone call with Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goita.
Niger’s ousted President Bazoum in 2021 marked the first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. The ousting sparked a shockwave in West Africa, with Mali and Burkina Faso also experiencing military takeovers.
ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, imposed trade and financial sanctions, suspending aid programs from France, Germany, and the United States. The new regime was given a one-week ultimatum to restore Bazoum or face force, but the deadline expired without action.
Niger’s military regime has sent mixed signals since the crisis erupted. The coup leaders have expressed openness to a diplomatic push after meeting with Nigerian religious mediators. However, they have declared sufficient evidence to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason and undermining internal and external security.
” ECOWAS condemned the legal threat, stating it contradicted the regime’s “reported willingness” to explore peaceful means. The row overshadowed talks under the African Union (AU) auspices in Addis Ababa.
