Military coup has always been met with hostile reactions because it is not democratic but in the most recent coup in Niger which has gained lots of condemnation from the international community and organizations, not everyone is hostile to the coup. In a joint statement released by the military juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso, they expressed their support for the coup in Niger, and warned against any foreign military intervention stating that “Any military intervention against Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali,”
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The military Juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso issued this statement days after ECOWAS threatened to use force to reinstate Niger’s deposed President Mohamed Bazoum. The ECOWAS bloc headed by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu imposed severe economic sanctions on Niger and threatened to use force if Bazoum’s presidency is not restored by August 6. It has also dispatched a delegation to Niger, headed by former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar to negotiate with the soldiers who seized power. As part of the sanctions on Niger, Nigeria has cut power to Niger who depended on Nigeria for 70 percent of its power. Aside from ECOWAS sanctions, the World Bank has also announced that it was suspending disbursements to Niger until further notice.
Despite the severe sanctions however, Niger’s coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani‘ has declared that he will not bow down to pressure to reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, criticizing sanctions imposed by West African leaders as “illegal” and “inhumane” and urging his countrymen to get ready to defend their nation.
Aside from expressing their support for the coup in Niger, the Burkinabe and Malian military authorities also said they “refuse to apply” the “illegal, illegitimate and inhumane sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger”. In addition to Burkina Faso and Mali, Guinea’s President Mamady Doumbouya – whose government was also the result of a coup – has also expressed “disagreement with the sanctions recommended but ECOWAS, including military intervention”. In a social media post, Doumbouya’s office said the sanctions “are options that would not be a solution to the current problem but would lead to a humanitarian disaster whose consequences could extend beyond the borders of Niger”. Doumbouya’s office also said it had “decided not to apply these sanctions, which it considers illegitimate and inhumane”, and urged ECOWAS to “reconsider its position”.
The expressions of support from Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea came as Niger’s military attempted to consolidate its coup by arresting top officials of the toppled government. According to Bazoum’s PNDS party, the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, the mines minister, the oil minister, and the leader of the ruling party were among those arrested.
While ECOWAS has issued sanctions on Niger, the international community is still divided over how to respond to the coup in Niger. Western countries, such as France and USA have condemned the coup and called for the restoration of civilian rule. Many of them saw Niger as
the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) in Africa’s Sahel region and fear the instability in the country could allow fighters to gain ground. Others, such as Russia, have been more supportive of the junta, arguing that it is necessary to restore stability in Niger and warned that threats of intervention “will not help ease tensions or calm the domestic situation”.
The coup in Niger is the latest in a series of military takeovers in West Africa. In 2020, the military seized power in Mali, bringing Colonel Assimi Goita as the interim President of Mali. Also, in 2022, the military took over in Burkina Faso and brought the youngest president in the world, Ibrahim Traore into power. The coups have raised concerns about the stability of the region, and have led to calls for international intervention.
It remains to be seen how the international community, particularly the US, will respond to the coup in Niger. According to a US official, the stance of the US is that the coup has not been fully successful and that there was still an opportunity to reinstate Bazoum, who was the first Nigerian president to be democratically elected through a peaceful transition of power. However, amidst the tension the United States, which has a drone base and troops in Niger, announced it would evacuate some staff and families from its embassy in the country.
Amidst all the condemnation by both international communities and ECOWAS, something that hasn’t been brought to light is the reaction of the people in Niger. Thousands of supporters of the Niger military coup have assembled at a stadium as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) deadline to restore deposed President Mohamed Bazoum to power approaches. When the delegation of the now-ruling National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) arrived at the 30,000-seat stadium in Niamey, applause erupted from supporters, many of whom carried Russian flags and photos of military officials. The stadium was packed, and the atmosphere was electric.
The question now is “They say Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people so if the people seem excited about the military coup and they are not protesting against it, isn’t that supposed to be a democracy? Shouldn’t the people of Niger be consulted before any decision is taken?
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