Niger Crisis: ECOWAS Agree to Activate Alert Force

The meeting of heads of ECOWAS member countries to discuss the Niger coup in Abuja. (Twitter/@ecowas_cedeao)

JAKARTA - Countries belonging to the West African economic bloc agreed to order the activation of standby troops for possible use against the junta that took power in Niger in July, saying they wanted a peaceful restoration of democracy but that all options including force were on the table.

The threat of invasion, though non-specific, will keep tensions high in and around Niger, the uranium producer that until the coup was a key Western ally in the fight against jihadist rebels ravaging the Sahel region.

The junta, which seized power on July 26, has defied an August 6 deadline to step down set by ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), closed Niger's airspace and vowed to defend the country against foreign attack.

After a summit of heads of state in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, ECOWAS vowed to impose sanctions, travel bans and asset freezes on those who prevent the democratically elected return to power of President Mohamed Bazoum.

"No choice is being taken off the table, including the use of force as a last resort," said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu who is also ECOWAS chairman.

"I hope that through joint efforts we can achieve a peaceful resolution as a roadmap for restoring stability and democracy in Niger," he continued.

Final Communique - Second Extraordinary Summit Of The Ecowas Authority Of Heads Of State And Government On The Political Situation In Niger...https://t.co/cYV62ouQY9 pic.twitter.com/ZEv3cjktD9

— Ecowas - Cedeao (@ecowas_cedeao) August 10, 2023

An official statement was read out which included a resolution asking the bloc's defense heads to "activate the ECOWAS Alert Force with all its elements immediately".

Another resolution spoke of ordering "the deployment of the ECOWAS Alert Force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger", immediately followed by another resolution speaking of restoring said order "through peaceful means".

Meanwhile, security analysts say regional forces could take weeks or longer to assemble, potentially leaving room for negotiation.

ECOWAS had planned to set up a standby force of thousands of troops for years, but was held back by funding delays and insufficient troop commitments, said Ikemesit Effiong, a researcher at SBM Intelligence in Nigeria.

After a series of coups since 2020 and increased militant activity, regional leaders said in December they were determined to create such a force. It wasn't immediately clear how far they had gone in assembling it.

ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray told the UN Security Council last month it was considering two options: a brigade of 5,000 troops at an annual cost of $2.3 billion or an on-demand deployment of troops at an annual cost of $360 million.

Thursday's statement did not explain how the troops would be funded, which countries would participate or how many troops or hardware they could contribute.

"Perhaps there is still much that has not been agreed upon, such as the time line, red line and what to do in an emergency situation if things continue to get worse," said Anelise Bernard, director of the Strategic Stabilization Advisory consultancy.