Just hours after the military junta in charge of the country rejected an important regional bloc’s deadline to surrender control, a military source informed CNN that Niger’s armed forces have started deploying reinforcements to the capital in preparation for a potential military intervention.
Around 40 pick-up trucks came in a convoy at dusk on Sunday night, carrying troops from other regions of the nation to comfort a worried populace and be ready for a possible conflict.
Since late last month, when the presidential guard overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup d’état, Niger has been mired in political upheaval. Days thereafter, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) reacted by imposing sanctions and giving the military junta in power a week to abdicate or risk military intervention.
Sunday came and went without any political shift as a result of that deadline. Bazoum is still in exile, and nobody knows for sure where he is. The junta’s official name, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, continues to effectively rule Niger. According to a junta leader, Niger’s armed forces would close the nation’s airspace owing to the possibility of military involvement.
It’s not obvious what happens next. Although the leaders of ECOWAS have stated that they prefer a peaceful resolution to the issue, they have also stated that they are willing to use force as a last resort to restore the democratically elected government of Niger. On Thursday, the group will meet once more to discuss the situation.
The capital, Niamey, has been shaken by the uncertainty. While others tried to evacuate, other individuals flocked to supermarkets to stock up on essentials like rice and cooking oil. Most lines out of the capital, according to local bus company employees, were fully packed.
On Monday, many customers purchasing food and supplies at the crowded Wadata market, located east of the capital’s core, expressed concern about what might happen.
Mariama Sabo, a 31-year-old cleaner, said, “Our country is on the verge of descending into a crisis that we have never encountered. We’re genuinely terrified.
Fruit vendor Salifou, 27, was concerned for his company’s future. Even though the border between the two countries is currently blocked, he imports his produce from Benin.
Salifou stated, “My stock is completely depleted and that really worries me.”
Concerns about the rising price of food were voiced by others.
A woman by the name of Salamatou remarked, “The authorities should show some sense of responsibility towards us or else it will be difficult.” “They need to bring peace and lower prices at the same time.”
Meanwhile, pro-junta protesters gathered on Sunday in a 30,000-seat stadium in Niamey to declare their allegiance to the military regime and opposition to ECOWAS sanctions.
Niger is still one of the world’s poorest nations despite having a plethora of natural resources. Many Nigerians, especially the younger generation, continue to blame France, an imperial power, for the country’s persistent poverty. Those who support the new military government see it as a chance to break diplomatic ties with French influence.
A bricklayer named Ali Maikano who resides in the nation’s capital declared he was prepared to fight alongside the army to oppose French interests there.
At the Wadata market, Maikano told CNN, “Enough is enough, we’ve suffered a lot under this regime that’s given everything to France, and we’re not afraid of ECOWAS or anyone else.”
The democratic neighbours and Western allies of Niger are particularly interested in the future of the country’s elected administration. On the grounds that Niger was a reasonably stable democracy in a region rife with political unrest, terrorism, and Islamist insurgencies, the United States and France stationed hundreds of troops, many of whom support counterterrorism activities.
Russia has tried to use the geopolitical crisis in West Africa in recent years to increase its power and influence, particularly through the mercenary company Wagner. Wagner has operations in a number of nations, including the neighbouring Mali, where a military coup in 2021 resulted in the establishment of a military government. Wagner soldiers have been hired to repress resistance and support local defence forces in their fight against uprisings and insurrections.
Wagner made contact with the coup leaders in Niger, according to the French Foreign Ministry, but it was not apparent if the two parties were working towards a cooperation.
According to a ministry spokesperson, “We can see that Wagner is in an opportunistic and predatory logic, so they may be tempted to take advantage of the whole situation.”
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner, appeared to pitch the private military business to the new government of Niger shortly after the coup was carried out.
Given the vulnerability of West African democracies like those in Mali and Burkina Faso, where a coup occurred in 2022, Niger’s democratic neighbours are concerned that the coup could have a cascading effect.
Currently, both nations are supporting the junta in Niger. They said last week that any military action in Niger would be viewed as “an act of war” against all three nations.
According to the Malian Armed Forces, both nations are sending delegations to the Nigerian capital Niamey “in solidarity with the people of Niger.”
Regarding sending delegations to Niger, Burkina Faso has not yet made any public statements, and the country’s ministry of foreign affairs has not yet acknowledged CNN’s request for confirmation of their attendance.
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