- ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff initiates activation of ECOWAS Standby Force to restore constitutional order in Niger
- Defence chiefs gather in Accra for two days to finalize plans for deploying the Standby Force
ECOWAS military leaders are set to convene in Ghana today to deliberate on the deployment of a standby force to Niger, aimed at restoring constitutional order.
The sub-regional bloc’s heads of state issued an order last week to activate and send this standby force if negotiations with the coup leaders do not succeed.
In a statement from the ECOWAS Commission, the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDC) has initiated the activation process for the ECOWAS Standby Force, tasked with reinstating constitutional governance in Niger.
The defence chiefs will assemble in Accra, Ghana over a two-day period (Thursday and Friday) to finalize strategies for deploying the Standby Force. General Abdourahmane Tchiani’s presidential guards apprehended Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26th, leading to the dissolution of the constitution.
In response to the coup, ECOWAS held an urgent meeting where economic sanctions were imposed on Niger, accompanied by a seven-day ultimatum for the coup leaders to restore the ousted president. Despite ECOWAS’ efforts, the coup leaders established a new government shortly before the bloc’s second emergency meeting.
An intervention team of Islamic scholars from Nigeria engaged with the junta leaders last Saturday to explore resolutions, resulting in the junta leader’s agreement to engage in dialogue with ECOWAS. Prior to this, two attempts by ECOWAS to engage with the junta leader had proven unsuccessful.