Foreign: Niger: ECOWAS Divided As Mali, Burkina Faso Threaten War

Any attempt to forcefully remove the military junta in Niger Republic will lead to war, Mali and Burkina Faso, have warned the Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS.

The warning comes on the heels of the seven-day ultimatum to the military government in Niger to reinstate the constitutional government of President Mohammed Bazoum who was forced from power by a coup led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, a former Presidential Guard Commander.

The 15-nation ECOWAS met on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital where they resolve to impose land, sea, and air blockades on the military junta.

Speaking during the meeting, Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s President and ECOWAS Chairman, said the use of force cannot be ruled out if the coup plotters failed to restore Bazoum back to power within the stipulated time.

The bloc had directed the Defence Chiefs of participating countries to be on the alert.

But reacting to the ECOWAS resolution for the use of force in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali government has threatened to pull out of the regional economic bloc, they have also warned that the invasion of Niger will be a declaration of war.

The two west African nations are sharing border with Niger and are currently under military rule.

According to a statement jointly signed by the two countries, they insist that any military intervention will be considered a declaration of war on their countries, and will be resisted, warning that a“disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger could destabilise the entire region.”

The two countries also warned of the spread of terrorists in the Sahel that could destabilize the West African region, saying that self-defence measures will be adopted in solidarity with the Niger Military junta.

“Any military intervention against Niger would amount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali,” said point four of the joint communique, which a Burkinabe military spokesman deliberately repeated three times during a state television broadcast,” the statement said.

The Source magazine earlier reported that Prof. Bola  Akinterinwa, a renowned scholar in international diplomacy warned that the use of force in Niger could lead the region to a disastrous war.

Also, a human rights lawyer Shehu Sani on Monday warned the Tinubu administration not to invade Niger with the aim of driving out the military junta.