The organizers of the Niger coup have closed the country’s airspace, citing a possible military invasion as the reason, writes the BBC.
The 15-nation Economic Community of West African Nations (ECOWAS) warned in late July that military force would be used if the coup plotters failed to return Mohamed Bazuma to office within a week. The deadline ended shortly before midnight on Sunday, the 6th of August.
The representative of the junta has announced that the armed forces are ready to defend the country.
Bazuma was arrested on the 26th of July, and his head of security later announced that he was now the new head of state. The international community, including France, the European Union, the US, and the United Nations, condemns the coup.
On Sunday evening, the representative of the junta announced on state television that they had information about a possible invasion by foreign forces.
After an emergency meeting in Niger, ECOWAS military leaders informed on Friday, the 4th of August, that a detailed plan for the possible use of force has been created. ECOWAS Commissioner for Political, Peace, and Security Affairs said that
they have looked at all the nuances of possible intervention, including the resources needed
and how and when to use force.
He added that he wanted diplomacy to be enough and the Nigerian coup organizers are already given opportunities to avert the risk of war. The ultimatum was given a week ago.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the coup show no desire to give up their positions, and on Sunday supporters of the junta staged yet another demonstration in Niger’s capital, Niamey.
Burkina Faso and Mali have previously warned that any military intervention in Niger’s politics would be seen as a declaration of war. Niger’s two neighboring countries are also part of ECOWAS, however, due to a change of power there, their activities in the bloc have been suspended. In Burkina Faso and Mali, the military has come to power in recent years, justifying the coup with the fight against Islamic extremists.
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, which, according to the information provided by the World Bank, annually receives around two billion dollars for development support. At the same time, Niger is the world’s seventh-largest producer of uranium, used in the military industry and medicine.
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