Niger Coup: ‘We Will Hold Military Junta Responsible If Anything Happens To Bazoum’ – ECOWAS warns
The Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) has stated that they will hold coup leaders accountable if anything happens to the deposed President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum.
President Bazoum was overthrown on July 26, 2023, and the military has stated their intentions to prosecute him.
In a statement read out on national television late on Sunday, a spokesman for Niger’s military laid out the charges against Bazoum as “high treason and undermining the internal and external security” of the country.
Weeks after the putsch, ECOWAS security chiefs held a series of meetings, with the latest gathering in Accra on Thursday, August 17, to find strategic ways to restore democratic rule in Niger.
Addressing the media ECOWAS Political Affairs, Peace & Security Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah revealed that the regional bloc has agreed to deploy its forces to support the common goal.
“All our chiefs of defence staff are very determined, united, and you could see they are ready for the task ahead. They are putting the final touches to the task ahead”.
“We know when the military will be embarking on the exercise in Niger”.
“Recently, the military junta charged President Bazoum of treason after we all agreed to dialogue on the issue at hand”.
“We have said we are going to hold the military very responsible if anything happens to Bazoum and his family, his safety, security, physical or anything that they will face because of the military junta, they (military) will pay dearly,” he added.
READ ALSO: Niger Coup: Don’t Send Ghana Military To “Untimely Death” – Sam George To Akufo-Addo
In a meeting earlier this month, Nigerian President and current ECOWAS Chair Bola Tinubu noted that diplomacy was the “best way forward” to resolve the crisis in coup-hit Niger.
However, the military junta have failed to meet with ECOWAS to settle the matter.
Failure of the junta to meet with ECOWAS led to the commission calling on all African states to deploy their military to attack the soldiers in Niger.
READ ALSO: Niger Coup: Ecowas Military Intervention Could Be Disastrous – Security Analyst
Following the ECOWAS announcement, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara immediately announced that his country would provide between 850-1100 troops “as soon as possible” to supplement the standby force being deployed for the mission in Niger.
“They will start preparing, mobilizing and putting in place everything they need to deploy to Niger as soon as possible,” he noted.
It’s funny how Ghana is always playing the caption planet to other countries whilst it’s own people are in worse crises!
Do you think if we had an issue, these francophone countries would come to our aid? We supply Togo and Burkina Faso with electricity, yet, we sleep in total darkness! Even the good book advices us to love our neighbor as ourselves, Not more than. Let’s tread carefully.