Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Prepared to Intervene in Niger

An official announced on Friday that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is ready to deploy its troops to Niger once the leaders of the member states agree to take action.

Progress in Talks

During the second day of discussions in Accra, Ghana, Abdelfatou Musa, commissioner for political and security affairs at ECOWAS, revealed that West African military leaders have extensively discussed the details of a potential armed intervention.

Readiness for Action

“We are prepared to mobilize as soon as we receive the order,” Moussa stated. He further emphasized that a specific victory day has been determined.

Preference for Dialogue

However, the leaders also emphasized their preference for peaceful dialogue and expressed the possibility of sending a diplomatic mission to Niger on Saturday.

“Tomorrow, there is a chance that the ECOWAS mission will go to Niger to continue the peaceful efforts to restore constitutional order,” Musa explained.

Peaceful Resolution

Musa highlighted that ECOWAS is fully committed to resolving the issue through peaceful means, but it requires cooperation from both sides.

“If they choose the peaceful path to restore constitutional order in the early stages, we are willing to forgo the military option,” he added.

Previous Challenges

Efforts by previous delegations to meet with Niger’s new leader, General Abderrahmane Tiane, have been unsuccessful so far.