Nigeria’s Senate has warned against military intervention in neighboring Niger after Nigerian President Bola Tinubu requested backing for such an action against Niger’s new military junta.
Nigeria currently holds the rotating presidency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has threatened to use military force if Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated by Sunday.
While the deadline has passed, there’s no sign of an imminent ECOWAS intervention in Niger. ECOWAS officials met Friday and said that they finalized intervention plans but did not indicate when they plan on launching the attack.
Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio said Saturday that he urged President Tinubu for ECOWAS to consider all diplomatic and political options before resorting to military intervention. Senators from northern Nigeria particularly stressed exhausting all diplomatic avenues since their region borders Niger.
“We also take exception to the use of military force until other avenues as mentioned above are exhausted as the consequences will be casualties among the innocent citizens who go about their daily business,” said Sumaila Kawu, a spokesman for a group of northern Senators.
The junta in Niger has stood firm against pressure from ECOWAS, which has included harsh sanctions. The coup leaders have shown no sign of planning to relinquish power or release Bazoum.
The US is calling for Bazoum’s release and has backed the ECOWAS threats to intervene in Niger. There are about 1,100 US troops stationed in Niger and a major American drone base is in the country. France has about 1,500 troops in Niger and has also backed ECOWAS threats against the coup government.
I don’t know squat about Nigerian politics, but at least the senate seems to have shown some sense.
And backbone, an attribute almost completely absent from the US Congress.
They “warned” them…..
Honestly I read a “admonishment” that came without a threat of force.
Sure, they might have “warned” them that they won’t like them (or invite them to dinner) but to put it in a headline as if Nigeria will actually do something like fight France kind of stretches the word in this instance.
wow “please don’t intervene militarily over here!”
oh too late! = Nigeria is the second largest oil and gas producer in Africa, a major exporter of crude oil and petroleum products to the United States of America
what did you think was going to happen?
idiots.
Surely you aren’t sharing this “warning” is a farce that does not mean squat.
They warned them and you are not supposed to think beyond that headline.
WOW, talk about bad luck,,, it seems that if “Nigeria currently holds the rotating presidency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has threatened to use military force if Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated by Sunday., but Nigeria is loath to act, and is in the drivers seat at ECOWAS could/would appear to be a done deal…!!!! As in over! !!!!!!! Is there something I missed.????? Perhaps the Nigerians people are tired of Western colonial exploitation, and the explicators are hooked on their profits,,,!!!!!! A sure way to get a ware….. !!!!!!