Coup: Russia Warns ECOWAS And Others Against Niger Intervention Threats
Russia on Wednesday called for “urgent national dialogue” in Niger and warned threats of intervention in the wake of a coup that ousted its democratically elected president were unhelpful.
“It’s very important to prevent a further deterioration of the situation in the country,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters, saying dialogue was needed for the “restoration of civil peace and to ensure law and order”.
Niger has been shaken by a coup that alarmed its neighbours and prompted France — the former colonial power — to evacuate its citizens.
West Africa’s regional bloc said Wednesday that a military intervention in the fragile country was a “last resort”.
Military chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were meeting on Wednesday to frame a response to the coup and a delegation was in Niger for negotiations.
“We believe that the threat to use force against a sovereign state will not help ease tensions or calm the domestic situation,” Zakharova added in her briefing.
In other news:
A Malian military source said Islamic State jihadists ambushed army units near the northeastern town of Menaka on Thursday. “We are currently working out the toll… Our troops defended themselves fiercely,” the source said.
A police official confirmed the report, adding that the soldiers “were escorting trucks to Niger”. “The toll is heavy,” a local official told AFP. No details about the trucks were immediately available.
Neighbouring Niger is also battling a jihadist insurgency and is in a standoff with regional neighbours following a coup last week.
WILL ECOWAS INTERVENE?
Junta-ruled Mali and Burkina Faso have backed Niger’s new military leaders, saying an intervention by regional bloc ECOWAS to restore deposed President Mohamed Bazoum would be tantamount to a declaration of war on them.