ECOWAS Intends Military Intervention After Niger Coupled, Hundreds Of Demonstrators Refuse

JAKARTA - Hundreds of Nigerians and Nigers took to the streets on Saturday, August 12 local time. Masses protest against military interference in restoring the democratic constitutional order in Niger.

Demonstrations took place days in the state of Kano after leaders of the West African State Economic Society (ECOWAS) blockade pushed for a possible military intervention for President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted on July 26 through a military coup, to return to office.

This was conveyed by ECOWAS at the emergency summit Thursday in the capital city of Abuja.

By shouting "our Niger brothers, Nigers and our families," the demonstrators demanded that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is also chairman of ECOWAS "support a diplomatic approach to overcoming the crisis in Niger", according to videos on social media.

"We don't want war, the war against Niger is injustice," said the demonstrator, confiscated by Antara.

The demonstrators accused ECOWAS of being "used" by Western allies to attack Niger.

Regional countries were divided due to ECOWAS' military response plan to the Niger coup. Oponents argue that it could develop into a wider regional conflict.

Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Benin said they were ready to send troops to Niger. Meanwhile France and the United States supported efforts by the ECOWAS bloc to prevent a coup following the summit on Thursday 10 August.

But Mali and Burkina Faso, where the military came to power in 2020 and 2022 and were suspended from the bloc, expressed strong support for coup leader General Abdourahamane Tiani.

Tiani is a former commander of the Niger presidential guard who has now served as head of the transitional government since the military removed Bazoum.

Algeria, another country bordering Niger, has also firmly rejected any military intervention and called for a return to constitutional legitimacy.