The committee of chiefs of defence staff of the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it has fine-tuned its military
intervention plans in Niger Republic.
ECOWAS agreed to use force as a last resort if diplomatic
efforts failed to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum who was toppled and
detained since the July 26 coup.
The military junta had also defied the bloc’s deadline to
relinquish power, leading to ECOWAS’ deployment of standby military troops last
week.
On Thursday, ECOWAS said it had begun the activation of its
standby force in the Niger Republic to restore constitutional order.
The bloc added that its defence chiefs would meet in Accra,
Ghana’s capital, to finalise plans for the deployment of force.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the two-day meeting
on Friday, Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace
and security, said the defence chiefs had agreed on a day to intervene.
Musah added that the regional body is still seeking to
engage peacefully with Niger’s military leaders.
“We are ready to go anytime
the order is given,” he said.
“The D-day is also decided. We’ve already agreed and
fine-tuned what will be required for the intervention. As we speak, we are
still readying [a] mediation mission into the country, so we have not shut any
door.
“Let no one be in doubt that if everything else fails, the
valiant forces of West Africa, both the military and the civilian components,
are ready to answer to the call of duty.”
Niger’s new military junta has defied calls from the United
States and France, and the United Nations (UN) as well as the African Union
(AU) to reinstate Bazoum.
The coup leaders had ousted the president on account of “bad
governance and worsening security”.
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