The Peace and Security Commissioner of the West African Economic Community, Abdel Fatau Musah, stated that a precise date for ECOWAS’s military action in Niger has been determined but will not be publicly disclosed. The remark was reported by Al Jazeera.
“The exact date for the intervention in Niger has been fixed, but it will remain undisclosed,” Musah noted.
Earlier reports indicated that the European Union would discuss potential sanctions and ECOWAS’s possible intervention in Niger during an informal EU foreign ministers meeting in Toledo on August 31. The source said EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell would outline counterinsurgency measures, and ministers would examine how to back ECOWAS in the event of intervention.
On July 26, Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum and his wife were reportedly detained by members of his personal security detail. The following night, Niger’s Armed Forces imposed a curfew, closed the borders, and halted the operation of state institutions. Rebels in the country asserted control over the displaced government’s safety and continuity during this period.
A former rebel leader forecast mass violence amid foreign involvement in Niger.