ECOWAS: 'D-Day' set for possible military intervention in Niger

(Patria) - The main West African regional bloc has said it has agreed on a 'D-Day' for a possible military intervention to restore democracy in Niger if diplomatic efforts fail, emphasizing that it will not engage in endless dialogue with the military junta, Reuters reports.

The comments came at the end of a two-day meeting of West African army commanders in Ghana's capital, Accra, where they outlined a strategy for the possible use of force in Niger.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stated that such action would be a last resort.

"We are ready to go whenever we are given the order," said ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah during the closing ceremony.

"'D-Day' has also been decided, which we will not reveal," he added. He said that a peaceful solution remained the option the bloc desired.

Military officers overthrew Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and defied calls from the United Nations, ECOWAS, and others to reinstate him, prompting the bloc to order reserve forces to mobilize.

Most of the 15 ECOWAS member states are ready to contribute to the joint forces, except for those under military rule: Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Cape Verde, the bloc states.
ECOWAS has taken a tougher stance on the coup in Niger, the seventh in the region in three years, than in previous ones. The bloc's credibility is at stake as it has said it will not tolerate further such overthrows.

"The decision is that the coup in Niger is one coup too many for the region, and we are stopping it at this point, drawing a line in the sand," Musah said.