West African nations threaten to make use of power if Niger’s president isn’t reinstated inside every week

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — West African nations have given Niger’s coup leaders one week to reinstate the nation’s democratically elected president and have threatened to make use of power if the calls for aren’t met.

The announcement got here on the finish of an emergency assembly of West African nations Sunday in Nigeria, the place the regional bloc, generally known as ECOWAS, convened to answer final week’s navy takeover. President Mohamed Bazoum stays underneath home arrest and has but to resign.

“In the event the authority’s demands are not met within one week, (the bloc will) take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force,” mentioned the assertion.

The bloc additionally imposted strict sanctions, together with suspending all business and monetary transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger and freezing of belongings in regional central banks.

Economic sanctions might have a deep affect on Nigeriens, who stay within the third-poorest nation on the earth, in keeping with the most recent U.N. information. The nation depends on imports from Nigeria for as much as 90% of its energy, in keeping with the International Renewable Energy Agency.

The sanctions might be disastrous and Niger must discover a answer to keep away from them, Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou advised French media outlet Radio France Internationale on Sunday.

“When people say there’s an embargo, land borders are closed, air borders are closed, it’s extremely difficult for people … Niger is a country that relies heavily on the international community,” he mentioned.

The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to revive democracies in nations the place the navy took energy lately. Four nations are run by navy governments in West and Central Africa, the place there have been 9 profitable or tried coups since 2020.

In the Nineteen Nineties, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia throughout its civil warfare. In 2017, it intervened in Gambia to forestall the brand new president’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of energy. Around 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered, in keeping with the Global Observatory, which offers evaluation on peace and safety points.

If the regional bloc makes use of power, it might set off violence not solely between Niger and ECOWAS forces but additionally civilians supporting the coup and people in opposition to it, Niger analysts say.

“While this remains to be a threat and unlikely action, the consequences on civilians of such an approach if putschists chose confrontation would be catastrophic,” mentioned Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow on the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based suppose tank.

“I believe economic sanctions are the ones to be imposed, but don’t see a military intervention happening because of the violence that could trigger,” he mentioned.

The navy junta, which seized energy on Wednesday when members of the presidential guard surrounded Bazoum’s home and detained him, is already cracking down on the federal government and civil liberties.

On Sunday, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane mentioned on state tv that every one authorities vehicles must be returned by noon Monday and banned using social media to diffuse messages in opposition to state safety. He additionally claimed that Bazoum’s authorities had approved the French to hold out strikes to free Bazoum. The Associated Press can’t confirm his allegations.

In anticipation of the ECOWAS resolution Sunday, hundreds of pro-junta supporters took to the streets within the capital, Niamey, denouncing its former colonial ruler, France, waving Russian flags and telling the worldwide group to remain away.

Demonstrators in Niger are overtly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a robust various. The nature of Moscow’s involvement within the rallies, if any, isn’t clear, however some protesters have carried Russian flags, together with indicators studying “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.