Niger Republic Coup: Junta Warns ECOWAS Leaders Meeting In Abuja Against Sending Troops Into Niger

The military junta in Niger Republic has warned West African leader under the membership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, against military intervention to stop the coup.

General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the head of the powerful presidential guard, declared himself the leader of Niger on Friday after the country’s elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, was toppled.

President Mohamed Bazoum, who came into office in February, 2021 as the country’s 10th president since independence, has been held by the military for four days now.

Recall that he was sworn in after a runoff, in the first round held on December 27, 2020 where he got 39.30% of the votes. While in round two, he got 55.67% of votes and was declared winner on March 21.

In a bid to stop him from being sworn-in as president, ten days after he was declared winner of the runoff, he survived an attempt on his life in Niamey, the capital of Niger.

Meanwhile, West African leaders will be meeting in Abuja on Sunday, July 30, for an emergency summit on the situation in Niger.

“ECOWAS and the international community would do everything to defend democracy and ensure democratic governance continues to take firm root in the region,” president of Nigeria and ECOWAS chairman, Bola Tinubu, had said in a statement on Friday, following the coup.

However, in a televised statement on Saturday night, July 29, Niger’s military leaders warned against any military intervention by ECOWAS, noting that Nigerien soldiers are ready to defend their homeland.

“The objective of the (ECOWAS) meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are non-members of ECOWAS, and certain western countries,” junta spokesperson Colonel Amadou Abdramane said.

“We want to once more remind ECOWAS or any other adventurer, of our firm determination to defend our homeland,” he added.

The junta issued another statement calling on citizens in capital Niamey to come out into the streets Sunday from 7 a.m. local time (8 a.m. CET) and demonstrate against ECOWAS to show support for the new military leadership.