Troops of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have declared their readiness to join the standby force to restore civil rule in Niger.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa, made this known on Thursday, during a meeting in Accra, Ghana’s capital.
“Democracy is what we stand for and encourage. The focus of our gathering is not simply to react to events but to proactively chart a course that results in peace and promotes stability,” he stated.
Al Jazeera reports that ECOWAS commissioner Abdel-Fatau Musah revealed that all member states except those under military rule and Cape Verde pledged readiness to participate in the standby force.
Recalls that after presidential guards seized power from President Mohamed Bazoum, ECOWAS had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military to restore the elected president or risk possible military action.
Mali and Burkina Faso junta leaders, reacting to the ECOWAS threat, warned that any military intervention in Niger Republic would be declared an act of war, revealing a fracture in the region between coastal countries and those in the volatile Sahel.
