Senegal ready to send troops against Niger junta

Senegal says its troops will join a military action to restore democracy in Niger if the regional bloc Ecowas gives approval.

The pledge comes as Ecowas defence ministers conclude a two-day meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, to confer on the next steps.

Presidential guards removed President Mohamed Bazoum last week but the Economic Community of West African States or Ecowas has given the junta has until Sunday to reinstate him.

The leader of the coup, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, has warned against foreign intervention, calling on “the people of Niger as a whole and their unity to defeat all those who want to inflict unspeakable suffering on our hard-working populations and destabilise our country”.

As part of Ecowas sanctions on the country, Nigeria cut electricity supply to Nigeria on Tuesday. Niger relies on Nigeria for up to 90% of its power, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Speaking on Thursday in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, foreign minister Aïssata Tall Sall told journalists there had been “one coup too many” in the region. She said Senegal would participate if Ecowas decided to intervene militarily in Niger.

“Senegalese soldiers, for all these reasons, will go there,” she said. “Senegal’s conviction is that these coups must be stopped.”

– Bazoum speaks

The comments came as US President Joe Biden called for the immediate release of President Bazoum.

“I call for President Bazoum and his family to be immediately released, and for the preservation of Niger’s hard-earned democracy,” the US president said in a statement on Thursday, the 63rd anniversary of Niger’s independence.

“In this critical moment, the United States stands with the people of Niger to honour our decades-long partnership rooted in shared democratic values and support for civilian-led governance.”

President Bazoum said in an opinion piece published on Thursday in the Washington Post that he is a hostage and called on the international community to restore constitutional order.

“This coup, launched against my government by a faction in the military on July 26, has no justification whatsoever. If it succeeds, it will have devastating consequences for our country, our region and the entire world,” he said.

– France deals

Late Thursday, the Niger junta announced the cancellation of five military cooperation agreements with France amidst rising anti-French sentiment. France, aiding the fight against Islamist insurgent groups, maintains a contingent of 1,000 to 1,500 troops in Niger.

The military agreements dates from 1977 to 2020.

The junta also suspended French state-funded international news outlets France 24 and RFI from broadcasting, echoing post-coup actions seen in Mali and Burkina Faso.