BY – Oluwafunmilayo Ogedengbe
President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast has expressed his perspective regarding the coup in Niger Republic. He stated that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) declaration to deploy a standby force is not a matter of Nigeria versus Niger, but rather an effort by ECOWAS as a collective against Niger.
“ECOWAS cannot accept this. This is not a matter of Nigeria against Niger. Not at all,” he said.
“The decision that we have made today — and I hope that it will be implemented immediately — is a decision of ECOWAS.”
President Ouattara conveyed this viewpoint during a press briefing following the ECOWAS Extraordinary Meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.
“As you are aware that ECOWAS has taken many decisions in the past legal and factual about coup d’etat and the community has always condemned coup d’etat.
“The coup d’etat has affected many countries in the sub-region ECOWAS in the past in Liberia, Sierra Leone, recently in Gambia, in Guinea Bissau and today we have a similar situation in Niger…
All the Head of States think that we’ve tried to dialogue [with the military junta] We’ve sent delegation, high personalities like former president Abdusalami Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and many other personalities in this important country to talk to the people of Niger,” he said.
As per the viewpoint of the Ivorian president, all the leaders within the West African regional bloc believe they have made attempts at engaging in dialogue with the Niger coup leaders.
“I personally consider this as a terrorist act and we cannot let this continue. We have to act. The decision of Cote d’Ivoire, which has been endorsed by all of the heads of state and that we have been able to tell these putschists, is that their place is in the barracks,” he added.
Recall that the Junta in Niger had issued a warning on Thursday that they will take the life of the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum if neighboring nations undertake any military intervention aimed at restoring his position.
Two individuals described as “Western officials” conveyed that the coup leaders delivered this threat during a conversation with a senior U.S. diplomat.
This occurred shortly before the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced its decision to instruct the deployment of a “standby force” with the aim of reinstating democracy in Niger. This action was taken after the expiry of ECOWAS’s deadline on Sunday for the restoration of President Bazoum’s government.
