The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) rose from its emergency meeting in Abuja on Sunday in response to the military coup in Niger Republic, with a resolution to enforce series of sanctions and a no-flight zone over Nigeria’s Northern neighbour.
The measures are seen as significant moves and a strong reaction to last Wednesday’s coup d’etat which poses a threat to the stability within the region.
The ECOWAS leadership believes that the imposition of a no-flight zone will help curb the junta’s influence and hinder any potential allies from providing aerial support, even as leaders of the military coup fear that the regional body could stage an imminent military intervention in the capital of the Sahel country.
In addition to the no-flight zone, the regional body has agreed immediate financial sanctions over the Niger coup, and has given the Niger junta a week to cede power.
The regional body has also not foreclosed the use of force to enforce its resolutions.
Niger Republic, woke up last Wednesday to a constitutional crisis as mutinous soldiers of the country’s Presidential Guard held its democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum hostage, after sealing off access to his residence and office in the capital, Niamey.
By Wednesday night, the soldiers sounded a familiar tone. “We, the defence and security forces… have decided to put an end to the regime of President Bazoum”, due to “the continued deterioration of the security situation, poor economic and social governance”, said their spokesman Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane, in a televised address. He then suspended all state institutions, closed air and land borders, and asked “all external partners” not to interfere.
The Nigerien Army, initially reluctant, soon joined the uprising in order to “preserve the physical integrity” of the president and his family and avoid “a deadly confrontation that could create a bloodbath and affect the security of the population”, according to the Army Chief of Staff. By Friday, coup mastermind and head of the Presidential Guard, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, publicly declared himself the new leader of Niger.
Although he has not been heard again since then, President Bazoum had in a social media post on Thursday morning vowed to protect the “hard-won” democratic gains of his country. His Foreign Minister, Hassoumi Massoudou also issued a rallying cry on Twitter, calling “all democrats and patriots” to make the coup fail.