Niger Refuses To Reinstate President, Closes Airspace Citing Military Threat From West African Bloc ECOWAS
Niger has closed its airspace citing 'military intervention' from West African nations' bloc ECOWAS as it refuses to reinstate the ousted President.
Niger on Sunday closed its airspace citing a military threat from the West African nations after coup leaders rejected a deadline to reinstate the country’s ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, reported Reuters. The West African regional block had asked Niger to reinstate the president within a week and threatened ‘use of force’ if leaders fail to do so. Now, as the deadline gets over, Niger closed its airspace citing the threat of ‘military intervention’ from the group, the report added.
The coup that rocked one of the poorest regions in the world, Sahel, is the seventh in West and Central Africa in three years, Reuters stated. It added that Niger holds importance for the US, Europe, China and Russia due to its uranium and oil riches and its pivotal role in a war with Islamist militants.
Meanwhile, the Defence chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) agreed on a possible military action plan, the report added. Reuters further mentioned that the bloc have also decided on when and where to strike, if the detained president is not released and reinstated by the deadline.
"In the face of the threat of intervention that is becoming more apparent ... Nigerien airspace is closed effective from today," a junta representative said in a statement on national television on Sunday evening, as quoted by Reuters,
Without giving details, he added that there had been a pre-deployment of forces in two Central African countries in preparation for intervention.
"Niger's armed forces and all our defence and security forces, backed by the unfailing support of our people, are ready to defend the integrity of our territory," he said.
Earlier, thousands of junta supporters flocked to a stadium in Niger's capital Niamey, praising the decision not to cave into external pressure to stand down by Sunday.
Over 100 junta supporters set up a picket near an air base in Niamey this weekend to extend non-violent resistance in support of the junta if needed, as per Reuters.
Niger last week revoked military cooperation agreements with France, which has between 1,000 and 1,500 troops in the country.
US and France have already facilitated evacuation flights for their nationals amid the rising tensions of a military threat in the region that has already been battling the deadly Islamist insurgency.
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