Source: War Looms Over West Africa As Niger Coup Deadline Arrives
Tensions are rising in Niger with the arrival of a Sunday deadline set by a coalition of West African nations for the new military junta in the country to step down or face possible force.
Niger is the latest country in West Africa where the army has seized control after soldiers staged a military takeover on July 26.
A major escalation could be on the cards, as the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) ultimatum to coup leaders to release and reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum expires.
On Friday, defense chiefs from the West African nations finalized an intervention plan and urged militaries to ready resources after negotiations with the junta stalled, the Associated Press reported.
“All the elements that would go into any eventual intervention have been brought out here and been refined, including the timing, the resources needed and the how and where and when we are going to deploy such a force,” said Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, after a meeting between defense chiefs from ECOWAS countries excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger.
However, Musah did not say whether ECOWAS would deploy force at the end of the deadline given to the junta.
A confrontation could draw in the United States and Russia, as well as former colonizer France which has maintained influence in the country.
西非国家联盟设定的周日最后期限即将到来，尼日尔的紧张局势正在加剧，该最后期限要求该国新军政府下台，否则将面临可能的武力威胁。 尼日尔是西非最新一个在士兵于 7 月 26 日进行军事接管后，军队夺取控制权的国家。 随着西非国家经济共同体（西非经共体）要求政变领导人释放并恢复被废黜总统穆罕默德·巴祖姆的最后通牒到期，局势可能会出现重大升级。
据美联社报道，周五，西非国家的国防部长敲定了一项干预计划，并敦促军方在与军政府的谈判陷入僵局后准备好资源。 西非经共体政治事务、和平与安全专员阿卜杜勒-法陶·穆萨在与除马里、布基纳法索、乍得、几内亚和尼日尔以外的西非经共体国家国防部长会晤后说：“任何最终干预行动中涉及的所有要素都已在这里提出并加以完善，包括时间安排、所需资源以及我们将如何、何处及何时部署这样一支部队。”不过，穆萨没有透露西非经共体是否会在军政府规定的最后期限结束时部署部队。
一场对抗可能会涉及美国和俄罗斯，以及在该国保持影响力的前殖民者法国。
