The Economic Community of West African States has committed to send a standby force to restore civil rule in Niger Republic if diplomatic efforts to reverse the coup fail.
At a conference in Accra, Ghana’s capital, on Thursday, all member states except those under military rule and Cape Verde promised to participate in the standby force.
According to Reuters, ECOWAS commissioner Abdel-Fatau Musah stated, “Let no one doubt that if all else fails, the valiant forces of West Africa…are ready to answer the call of duty.”
“By all means available, constitutional order will be restored in the country,” Musah told assembled defence chiefs from member countries, listing past ECOWAS deployments in The Gambia, and Liberia as examples of readiness.
Al Jazeera quoted Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, to have said, “Democracy is what we stand for and it’s what we encourage.”
“The focus of our gathering is not simply to react to events, but to proactively chart a course that results in peace and promote stability.”
The Presidential Guards seized power from President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, making the ECOWAS issue a one-week ultimatum to the military to restore the president or risk sanctions.
The military ignored the ECOWAS threats and vowed to resist foreign intervention.
The ECOWAS asked Defence Chiefs to activate its standby force.