The military leader in Niger, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has ordered the country’s armed forces to go on highest alert, citing an increased threat of attack.
According to VOA, the order is contained in an internal document issued Friday by its defense chief that a security source in the country confirmed was
Recall that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been trying to negotiate with the leaders of the July 26 coup to return the country to constitutional order by reinstated ousted President Mohammed Bazoum.
The document, which has gone viral since Saturday, said the order to be on maximum alert would allow forces to respond adequately in case of any attack and “avoid a general surprise.”
“Threats of aggression to the national territory are increasingly being felt,” it said.
However, the regional bloc downplayed this threat and said on Friday it is “determined to bend backwards to accommodate diplomatic efforts” – although a military intervention remained one of the options on the table.
“For the avoidance of doubt, let me state unequivocally that ECOWAS has neither declared war on the people of Niger, nor is there a plan, as it is being purported, to invade the country,” ECOWAS commission president, Omar Alieu Touray said.
The bloc’s decision earlier in August to activate a standby force for a possible intervention has raised fears of an escalation that could further destabilise the rebellion-ridden Sahel region.
Meanwhile, Aljazeera reported that thousands of people rallied in the capital Niamey on Saturday (yesterday) in support of the military leaders behind last month’s coup.
The Seyni Kountche stadium, the largest in Niger with a capacity of 30,000 seats, was two-thirds full and the sound of vuvuzelas rang out in the late evening.
The report said Nigerien, Algerian, and Russian national flags dotted the stands, while acrobats painted in Niger’s national colours put on a show in the centre of the pitch.
On Friday, Niger’s foreign ministry announced that French ambassador Sylvain Itte had 48 hours to leave the country.
Their statement was in response to “the refusal of the French ambassador in Niamey to respond to an invitation” from the minister for a meeting Friday and “other actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger.”
The decision followed a series of statements and demonstrations hostile towards France since the army overthrew Bazoum.
The military leaders accuse Paris of wanting to intervene militarily in Niger in order to reinstate Bazoum and claim ECOWAS is an organisation in the pocket of former regional colonial power France.
Paris rejected the demand, saying: “France has taken note of the putschists’ request.
“The putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the ambassador’s approval coming solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities.
“We are constantly evaluating the security and operating conditions of our embassy.”
France has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against armed groups that have been active in the country for years.
