West African nations are preparing troops for possible intervention in Niger, backed by the United States and France

The coalition has not announced whether it will deploy a combat force in West Africa. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, chairman of ECOWAS, said after the emergency meeting that “no option has been taken off the table”. That means the team is still considering military intervention.

It is not yet clear what exactly Ecowas means by declaring “standby force operation”. For example, the question is how many players will be involved.

West African heads of state have given the green light to a military operation in Niger, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said Thursday. It “must start as soon as possible,” Ouattara said.

“The chiefs of staff will hold other negotiations to finalize things, but they have the agreement of the Heads of State Conference to start operations soon,” Ouattara said in Abidjan after returning from Abuja. He also said Ivory Coast would provide a “battalion” of 850 to 1,100 troops.

“The monarchists can choose to leave tomorrow morning, there will be no military intervention, it’s up to them,” Ouattara asserted. “We are determined to restore President Bassum to his duties.”

US and France support

The US and France voiced support for the economic bloc’s measures on Thursday night. “Ecowas, an organization that brings together West African countries, plays an important role and demonstrates the need to return to constitutional order,” said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. “We support the leadership of Ecowas and work in this area,” he said, without explicitly indicating whether the US approves the decision to send troops.

France gave full support to “all conclusions” adopted at the summit on Niger. In addition, the French Foreign Ministry said it strongly condemned “the attempted coup in Niger and the kidnapping of President Bassoum and his family.”

Ultimatum

After the July 26 coup, it has threatened to intervene to restore democracy in Niger. Last Sunday, the ultimatum expired for those plotting to restore ousted President Bazoom to power. Ecowas imposed sanctions against Niger, which is highly dependent on neighboring countries for its food and energy supplies.

Fifteen member states (four of which have been suspended for the coup) are also trying to gather international support. On Thursday, the partnership asked the African Union (55 member states) to support Ecowas’ opposition to military rule in Niger.