ECOWAS Orders Standby Force to Intervene in Niger Coup Crisis

Ilesanmi AdekanbiAugust 10, 2023

1 1 minute read

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has decided to deploy its standby force to intervene in the Niger coup crisis and restore constitutional order in the country.

The ECOWAS President, Omar Alieu Touray, announced the resolution at the ECOWAS Extraordinary meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

He also called on the African Union (AU), partner countries, and institutions to support the resolution taken by the sub-regional body.

ECOWAS said that all efforts made to dialogue with the Niger military junta, which seized power on 26 July 2023, have been defiantly rejected by the coup leaders.

ECOWAS also condemned the continuous detention of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family members, who were elected in a democratic election in February 2023.

The resolution partly reads, “Direct the committee of the Chief of Defence Staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately.

“Order the deployment of the ECOWAS stand-by force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Underscore its continued commitment to the restoration of constitutional order through peaceful means.”

The ECOWAS standby force is a multidisciplinary force comprising military, police, and civilian components that can be deployed for peace support operations in West Africa . The force has previously intervened in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, and Mali.

The Niger coup is the fifth military coup in the country since independence from France in 1960, and the first since 2010. The coup was widely condemned by the international community and by other West African countries, which have also experienced coups or coup attempts in recent years.