Niger’s junta said ECOWAS could stage military intervention

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Niger putschists say threat of ‘imminent military intervention’ by ECOWAS - The Hindu

About ECOWAS:

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an area of 5,114,162 km2 (1,974,589 sq mi), and in 2019 had an estimated population of over 387 million.

Considered one of the pillar regional blocs of the continent-wide African Economic Community (AEC), the stated goal of ECOWAS is to achieve "collective self-sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trade bloc by building a full economic and trading union. The union was established on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, with its stated mission to promote economic integration across the region. A revised version of the treaty was agreed and signed on 24 July 1993 in Cotonou.

The ECOWAS also serves as a peacekeeping force in the region, with member states occasionally sending joint military forces to intervene in the bloc's member countries at times of political instability and unrest.

About Military Coup in Niger:

Niger had previously undergone four military coups since independence from France in 1960, with the most recent having occurred in 2010. In between, there were also several coup attempts, the most recent of which was in 2021 when military dissidents tried to seize the presidential palace two days before the inauguration of president-elect Mohamed Bazoum. He was the country's first democratically elected president to assume office from a similarly elected predecessor. The coup also came in the wake of recent coups in nearby countries such as in Guinea, Mali, Sudan in 2021 and two in Burkina Faso in January and September in 2022, which has led to the region being called a "coup belt".

Analysts said the rising cost of living and perceptions of government incompetence and corruption may have driven the revolt. The country frequently ranks at the bottom of the UN's Human Development Index and has also suffered from Islamist insurgencies led by Al-Qaeda, Islamic State and Boko Haram, despite its military receiving training and logistical support from the United States and France, which have bases in the country.

In 2022 the country became the hub of France's anti-jihadist operations in the Sahel region following its expulsion from Mali and Burkina Faso, with Bazoum being described as one of the few remaining pro-Western leaders in the region. Niger became a key ally for Western forces, particularly French and American. With multiple coups and rising anti-French sentiments in the region, Niger became France's partner of last resort. American-trained officers were also reported to have trained many members of the presidential guard.

  1. About ECOWAS ( Home ), 
  2. About ECOWAS ( Wikipedia ), 
  3. About Military Coup in Niger - BBC, 
  4. About Military Coup in Niger - Wikipedia,

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