WORLD NEWS: AU SUSPENDS NIGER OVER MILITARY COUP

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The African Union announced on Tuesday that it has suspended Niger until civilian government was reinstated and that it would consider the effects of any armed involvement in the unstable Sahel country.

Following significant disagreements on the issue, the Peace and Security Council “requests the AU Commission to undertake an assessment of the economic, social, and security implications of deploying a standby force in Niger and report back to the Council,” the bloc said.

President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by army officers on July 26, which prompted the West African regional group ECOWAS to threaten to use force to restore him.

As a last resort, ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, decided to mobilize a “standby force” to restore democracy in Niger.

Even as it pursues the possibility of a diplomatic resolution, it has stated that it is prepared to take action.

Last week, the AU met to discuss the problem despite differing opinions within the bloc regarding any potential military action.

International concern for the Sahel, which is experiencing escalating jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organization, has increased as a result of the coup.

Niger, after Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali, is the fourth country in West Africa to experience a coup since 2020.

Any military action against one of their neighbors would be seen as a “declaration of war” on Burkina Faso or Mali, according to the juntas in those countries.

Since the impoverished landlocked nation of Niger obtained independence from France in 1960, there have been five coup attempts.

The election of Bazoum in 2021 marked a turning point and paved the stage for the first peaceful transfer of power in the nation.

Since the coup, he has been detained alongside his family at the president’s official mansion, raising growing concerns about his living conditions.

AFP