The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs through a press release supports the recent decisions taken by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore constitutional order in Niger.
Meeting this Thursday in Abuja, the ECOWAS Heads of State “ordered the Committee of Chiefs of Armed Forces to activate the ECOWAS standby forces and order their deployment with a view to restoring democratic order in Niger. “. However, the organization says it is keeping all options on the table for the “peaceful resolution” of the crisis.
France “provides its full support for all the conclusions adopted on the occasion of the extraordinary ECOWAS summit in Abuja, including the decision to activate the deployment of a “standby force”, indicated the French ministry. Foreign Affairs.
It “reiterates its firm condemnation of the putsch attempt underway in Niger, as well as the kidnapping of President Bazoum and his family”.
In addition, the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken made it known that his country supported the action of ECOWAS without however explicitly approving the decision to deploy its force.
It should be noted that a seven-day ultimatum had been issued to the soldiers in Niamey to restore President Bazoum to his duties on pain of armed intervention at a previous summit on July 30.
Rachel Doubidji