The African Union (AU), said to be concerned by the rising number of coups in West Africa, is reportedly opposed to any military intervention by ECOWAS.
French daily Le Monde said it had spoken to sources from the AU’s Peace and Security Council, the body appointed to decide on conflict resolution issues, who decided to reject the deployment of a foreign military force after a tense meeting on Monday.
It’s unclear when the force will invade Niger, but a diplomat told Le Monde the AU was worried that military action would trigger a bloody civil war.
At the same meeting, the council reportedly chose to temporarily suspend Niger from all AU activities.
Protests, recruitment drive of volunteer fighters ongoing
However, France 24 reported that there is widespread public anger in Ghana over the planned invasion by some ECOWAS countries willing to participate in a possible military intervention in Niger.
And in Niger, the Associated Press reported that residents in the capital, Niamey, were calling for the mass recruitment of volunteers to assist the army in the face of the “growing threat” by ECOWAS.
A resident involved in the drive told AP they hoped to recruit tens of thousands of volunteers from across the country to fight, help with medical care and provide technical and engineering support.
“It’s an eventuality. We need to be ready whenever it happens,” the resident, Amsarou Bako, said.
It was gathered that as well as the capital, the recruitment drive is targeting cities where foreign forces might enter, such as near the borders with Nigeria and Benin.
We support ECOWAS, AU position – Southern African bloc
The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), has thrown its weight behind the actions taken so far by the ECOWAS and AU on the Coup in Niger Republic.
The High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria and the Dean of the SADC, H.E. Humphrey Geiseb, disclosed this on Thursday while speaking with journalists at Hope of Survival Orphanage Home, Abuja where the SADC donated food items to orphans as part of activities to mark the organisation’s anniversary.
Geiseb, when asked about the take of the bloc on the situation in Niger, said the Southern African region is mostly peaceful, adding that: “We hold regular elections and democracy is very strong in our region.”
The envoy, however, said the Southern Africa region is part of the African Union, pointing out that whatever happens in other regions of the African continent indirectly affects SADC.
“Southern Africa is part of the African Union and the concerns and feelings about the situations of coups as expressed by ECOWAS, which is a regional body, just like the Southern Africa Development Community, and equally by the African Union.
“So, we are fully behind the statements and positions of ECOWAS and the African Union,” he said.