The African Union announced on August 22 that it is suspending Niger until constitutional order is restored, in a statement to the Peace and Security Council. The regional bloc calls on all member states and the international community to refrain from any action that gives legitimacy to the military junta that seized power in Niger and announced individual sanctions against the coup plotters. The AU did not take a formal position on the possible military intervention of ECOWAS.
First modification: Last modification:
5 min
It is the first official statement from the African Union (AU) since it met on August 14 regarding the crisis in Niger.
The AU communicated through its Peace and Security Council that the Republic of Niger was immediately suspended “from all activities of the AU and its bodies and institutions until the effective restoration of constitutional order in the country.”
He also called on all member states and the international community to reject “this unconstitutional change of government” and to refrain from “any action that could give legitimacy to the illegal regime in Niger.”
The suspension of the African Union is a “standard” reaction of the African Union and other regional organizations to countries that have suffered coups in the region, Nate Allen, associate professor at the African Center for Strategic Studies, explained to the Associated Press agency, AP.
On July 26, a group of soldiers ousted the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, setting up a military junta to rule the country. Bazoum and his family are still being held and human rights organizations have warned about the serious deterioration in his physical condition due to his detention conditions.
The Peace and Security Council asked the AU Commission to create a list of members of the military junta and their supporters to “apply individual punitive measures,” including those who have violated the rights of Bazoum and other detainees.
To that list he added the need for the AU Commission to assess the economic, social and security implications of a possible military intervention in the country.
The African Union urged the military junta in Niger to release the president-elect and immediately and unconditionally return the soldiers to their barracks and submit to civilian authorities.
What are the positions of the regional blocs regarding a potential deployment of military forces in Niger?
Following a conclave of military chiefs in Ghana on August 17-18, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced that it was in a position to carry out a military intervention to restore democracy in Niger, but maintained that the priority was find a diplomatic way out of the crisis.
On Saturday, August 19, a diplomatic delegation from ECOWAS was received by the military junta in Niger. It was the first time that the leader of the military junta, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, was open to dialogue, after multiple calls by ECOWAS. On Tuesday, August 22, the ECOWAS mediator, Abdulsalami Abubakar, a former Nigerian military leader, told local media that the visit was “very fruitful” and that he held out hope for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
“Nobody wants to go to war,” he said in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, after reporting to President Bola Tinubu from the diplomatic mission. “We started talking. They (the board) have made their own points clear. We will get somewhere, we hope so, ”he declared without elaborating.
The African Union did not comment in the statement on its position regarding the possible military intervention. The Peace and Security Council could reject the military intervention of ECOWAS, if it considers that it represents more of a threat to the stability of the region as a whole than an alternative for the restoration of democracy.
On the other hand, the African Union did affirm its rejection of any interference in the crisis by a non-African State or actor, including paramilitary groups, referring to the Russian Wagner group, currently active in Mali. Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, had welcomed the coup.
Cedeao is made up of different bodies. The ECOWAS parliament announced that it was opposed to sending troops, Ali Ndume, Nigeria’s representative in parliament, told local media on August 22, following a meeting of the institution the night before.
“Our stance is informed by the serious implications of a military intervention in Niger. There is no alternative to a diplomatic solution, ”he declared.
For its part, the military junta commanded by Niger has resisted international pressure and sanctions. They consider that Niger currently has a transitional government and on August 7 they appointed a prime minister, the politician Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine.
On Saturday August 19, the military junta announced a three-year plan to organize elections, ECOWAS rejected the plan.
What positions have the global powers taken?
Before the coup, Niger was a strategic ally of Western countries, for having one of the largest uranium reserves and authorizing the presence of foreign military bases to fight jihadist militias active in the region.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated calls for the release of Mohamed Bazoum and said the United States would consult with ECOWAS on its actions. “We are working intensively with all our allies, including France, to try to ensure the preservation of democracy in Niger,” he stated.
Wu Peng, director general of the African Affairs Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that only Africans could solve the problems of their continent.
The coup in Niger is the seventh in West and Central Africa since 2020.
With Reuters, EFE and AP
#African #Union #suspends #Niger #member #bloc #response #military #coup