Regional bloc ECOWAS prefers diplomacy but will not rule out military intervention, says Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has welcomed an Algerian mediation effort to peacefully restore democratic rule in neighboring Niger, where the military recently ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup.
“We welcome all parties seeking to find a peaceful solution to this imbroglio, including Algeria,” Tuggar told France 24 in an interview published on Wednesday. Nigeria currently holds the rotating presidency of the Economic Community of States of West Africa (ECOWAS).
The diplomat’s comments came after Algeria announced earlier this week that Niamey’s new rulers had accepted Algiers’ offer to mediate in the country’s political crisis.
The Algerian government has proposed a six-month transition period, rather than the three-year maximum plan announced by coup leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani, to return the West African country to civilian rule.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has repeatedly opposed threats by ECOWAS to send troops to restore constitutional order in Niger, after several attempts to persuade the military rulers to reverse the coup failed. The French government has backed the bloc’s planned military intervention, referring to the coup leaders as “illegitimate authorities.”
Tebboune has previously warned that using military force in response to the Niamey crisis could spark a wider conflict across the Sahel region, with Mali and Burkina Faso threatening that an assault on Niger would be considered an act of war against their countries.
On Wednesday, Tuggar insisted on ECOWAS’ preference for diplomacy but said the option of military intervention, “which does not necessarily result in a war, as has been misinterpreted,” was still on the table.
“It remains relevant, but it is not the preferred option either, which is why many diplomatic efforts are still underway,” the Nigerian minister said.
“The position of ECOWAS, however, remains the same. We are against this military takeover in Niger, and we insist that President Bazoum, who is the elected president of Niger, be released,” he added.
