By: Jerromie S. Walters
The new military rulers in Niger ordered the armed forces to go on maximum alert citing an increased threat of attack, but with these and several other reports, Liberians too are becoming troubled by the situation, as they have joined scores of other Africans to heighten calls for stability in the West African nation.
The main West African bloc ECOWAS has been trying to negotiate with the leaders of the July 26 coup, but as established so far, it is ready to deploy troops to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts fail.
But, some Liberians are of the view that the situation in Niger has the proclivity to result to an unimaginable situation in Liberia and any other West African Country.
Like several other Liberians we spoke with, Tarnue Kollie D. Seaboe, a Liberian, and a resident of Carey Street, is unhappy about the situation, because he’s of opinion that it has the propensity to affect other African countries economically, and in other ways that can be predicted.
“Obviously, in the west African region, what affect one, affects all, economically, it will affect all,” he believes.
With ECOWAS latest decision to deploy troops to restore constitutional order in the country, if dialogues fail, Tarnue Kollie D. Seaboe literally don’t see it safe, but believes it’s the right way out.
“Let’s pray and see how things will be like, especially with the decision that ECOWAS has decided to take to remove the juntas, and that’s what I will support,” he said.
When quizzed about what he foresees if things are not resolved in the next one month or two, he expressed confident in ECOWAS intervention, which he believes will restore stability in the West African state.
“Let’s forget about concerns like why it can’t be now, why it can’t be today or why it can’t be next week, but I know that they will do something to set precedent that nobody will stage a coup and remain in power,” he said.
Tarnue’s view concurs with ECOWAS leaders position on zero tolerance for another coup in the region.
“Even now, it is not too late for the military to reconsider its action and listen to the voice of reason as the regional leaders will not condone a coup d’etat,” Touray told reporters in Abuja. “The real issue is the determination of the community to halt the spiral of coup d’etats in the region.”
As ECOWAS continues to do, Tarnue Kollie D. Seaboe says, “When it comes to military operations, it’s a process, it will not be automatic, because you have to calculate well, because you want to avoid human casualties, and destruction of lives and properties, so in doing so, we to allow those who are specialized in that area to do they’re work.”
Meanwhile, global outlets have reported that thousands of people rallied in the capital Niamey on Saturday in support of the military leaders behind last month’s
“This is expected to be the largest rally over the last month. Organizers say they expect one million people here,” said Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from the stadium in Niamey. “They will hear speeches from the military and leaders of the coup.”
The Seyni Kountche stadium, the largest in Niger with a capacity of 30,000 seats, was two-thirds full and the sound of vuvuzelas rang out in the late evening.”
The flags of Niger, Algeria, and Russia dotted the stands, while acrobats painted in Niger’s national colours put on a show in the centre of the pitch. “We have the right to choose the partners we want, France must respect this choice,” said Ramatou Ibrahim Boubacar, a model wearing Nigerien flags from head to toe” “For 60 years, we have never been independent, only since the day of the coup d’etat,” she said.
Boubacar added the country fully supports the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), which seized power after President Mohamed Bazoum’s government was overthrown on July 26.r
Al Jazeera over the weekend reported that
the CNSP is led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who has made former colonial power France its new target. On Friday, Niger’s foreign ministry announced that French ambassador Sylvain Itte had 48 hours to leave, saying he refused to meet with the new rulers and citing French government actions that were “contrary to the interests of Niger”.
However, Paris rejected the demand, saying that “the putschistsdo not have the authority to make this request“.
“The French ambassador, instead of leaving, thinks this is the land of his parents,” said Idrissa Halidou, a healthcare worker and CNSP member. “We are people of war, we are ready to fight against [ECOWAS].”
The West African bloc has applied sanctions against the new regime and threatened to use military means to remove it if the new rulers do not hand back power to Bazoum.
The new rulers in Niamey accuse ECOWAS of being in France’s pocket.
France has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against armed groups that have been active in the country for years.
Marie-Roger Bilou, from the Africa International Media Group, said the coup d’etat in Niger is different from the recent ones in Malia and Burkina Faso, which did not receive much international reaction.
“This time the story is not written yet. Let’s see if the French ambassador leaves. I think they [military rulers] won’t budge now and will wait and see what happens,” Bilou told Al Jazeera.
Niger military rulers order France ambassador to leave the country
Military government also authorized troops from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso to come to its defense, raising the stakes in a standoff with other West African nations threatening force.
Niger’s military leadership asked the French ambassador to depart the country – a move further escalating the international crisis in the West African nation after a coup that deposed the democratically elected president.
Niger’s military government also authorized troops from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso on Friday to come to its defense, raising the stakes in a standoff with other West African nations threatening force to reinstate Niger’s democratically elected president.
French Ambassador Sylvain Itte was asked to leave Niger within 48 hours in a letter that accused him of ignoring an invitation for a meeting with the foreign ministry.
The letter dated Friday, also cited “actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger” as among the reasons for Itte’s expulsion.
France’s foreign ministry on Friday said Niger’s “putschistshave no authority” to ask its ambassador in Niamey to leave.
“The ambassador’s approval comes solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities,” AFP news agency quoted an unnamed official as saying.
Niger, a former French colony, was France’s partner before last month’s coup in the fight against armed groups. A growing wave of anti-French sentiment has followed recent coups in the region with some locals accusing the European country of interfering in their affairs.
French President Emmanuel Macron sharply criticised Niger’s coup-makers on Thursday and demanded the release of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.
The military leader, General Abdrahmane Tchiani, signed two executive orders authorizing the “security forces of Burkina Faso and Mali to intervene on Niger territory in the event of aggression”, military official Oumarou Ibrahim Sidi said late Thursday after hosting a delegation from the two countries in the Nigerien capital, Niamey.
Sidi did not provide further details about the military support from the two countries whose military regimes have said any use of force by the West African bloc ECOWAS against Niger’s military government would be treated as an act of war against their own nations.
The agreement was the latest of several actions taken by Niger’s mutinous soldiers to defy sanctions and consolidate a military leadership they say will rule for up to three years, further escalating the crisis after last month’s coup in the country of more than 25 million people.
‘Still on the table’
Niger was seen as one of the last democratic countries in the Sahel region below the Sahara Desert that Western nations could partner with against growing violence by armed groups.
The ECOWAS commission president, Omar Alieu Touray, said on Friday that the bloc’s threat to use force to reinstate Bazoumis “still on the table”, rejecting the three-year transition plan.
Eleven of the bloc’s 15 countries – not including the military-ruled countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger itself – have expressed commitments to deploy troops to restore democracy in Niger once a decision is made to intervene.
