The African Union, an institution that brings together more than 50 countries on the continent, declared this Friday that it supports the measures taken by West African nations to restore Niger’s president, Mohamed Bazoum, to power, including the use of force if necessary. .
In a statement released this Friday, the president of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, expressed “strong support” for the decisions adopted by the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) on the “unconstitutional changes” in Niger.
“The President appeals to the military authorities to urgently halt the escalation of relations with the regional organization Cedeao, including the cessation of the continuous kidnapping of President Bazoum in worryingly precarious conditions”.
The statement from the African Union is a positive signal to the memorandum released by ECOWAS on Thursday, in which West African leaders request the “activation” of a regional military force on standby if negotiations with the junta that today governs the country do not advance. Niger.
Members of Edeao are currently trying to negotiate with the new Nigerian dictator, Abdourahamane Tiani, and his closest entourage. The organization reaffirmed on Thursday that, before an invasion of Niger, it will seek the “restoration of constitutional order” by peaceful means.
However, a military incursion to restore Bazoum’s power has never been ruled out and, more than that, it has always been posed as a possibility, albeit far from ideal.
The decision to prepare a stand-by force has two functions: the first is to put pressure on the Niger government to relent. The country’s new leaders have repeatedly stated that they will not leave power, and have gained strength with the accession of two neighboring countries in the region, also governed by coup-mongering military junta: Mali and Burkina Faso.
However, the support of the European Union adds new weight to ECOWAS’ words. This is because the pan-African entity often uses military forces for actions in several countries facing internal conflicts.
The other function of calling in advance to prepare a standby force is more practical. ECOWAS does not have a military force already mobilized and would need to rely on the coordinated action of its member countries in the event of an invasion of Niger. The measure will require a few weeks of preparation, so you’ll want to be ready if negotiations with the junta fail completely.
Source: CNN Brasil
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