Troops In Niger: ECOWAS Is Conscious Of Potential Effects On Foreign Nationals

The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (CPAPS), for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Dr Abdel-Fatau Musa, has said that ECWOAS has thought of the possible impact of sending troops to Niger on foreign nationals in that country.

He recognized that there are several foreign nationals including refugees in Niger.

Dr Musa assured that the regional bloc is going waging war against Niger. He said they are rather warring against the junta that organized the coup.

Recently, the President of Ghanaians Resident in Niger Seidu Abudu expressed fears that foreigners domiciled in Niger would be attacked if the ECOWAS sends troops to that country to fight the coup makers.

Seidu Abudu raised concern against any move by ECOWAS to deploy troops to Niger.

“We have so many foreigners here so if ECOWAS is going to use force, I think the foreigners who are living in this country are going to have a big problem because they are going to attack us, that one is for sure,” he said on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Wednesday August 16.

Asked whether ECOWAS has thought about the possible implications of deploying troops to Niger as part of moves to restore constitutional democracy, Dr Musa said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, August 19 that “In the planning of this mission, all those factors have been taken into account. We are talking about the Ghanaian citizens who are there, there are other nationals of West Africa, there are about 700,000 Nigerian citizens and refugees in Niger and we are very much aware of that. We have also taken into account the possibility of reverse refugee flows out of the country.

“But let me assure you, in planning, we are not going to war against Niger, we are going to war against the CNSP junta. The CNSP junta is the one and we are making that very clear.”

Dr Abdel-Fatau Musa further said the sub-regional bloc has always maintained that military intervention will be the last option.

“It is you the media who are actually beating the drums of war,” he said.

“Right from the beginning of this crisis, Ecowas has always said we are going to exhaust all our tools, the array of tools that we have.

“We condemn the coup, we ask for the release of President Bazoum and his family, we ask the junta CNSP to restore constitutional order [but] all that have been on deaf ears.”

He said if the junta is willing to engage the bloc on dialogue, military intervention will not be an option.

On Thursday, August 10 in Abuja, Nigeria, the Authority of Heads of State and Government of Ecowas urged member states to mobilise a stand-by force in order to restore constitutional order in Niger.

The decision, according to Dr Musa, comes after two missions of Ecowas were turned down by the CNSP led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani.

He said Ecowas has always made overtures for dialogue but the junta has rejected all that.

“All these steps are there and we are still asking them to give peace a chance by opening up the diplomatic channel.

“We are not the one shutting the door on them. It is rather they shutting the door on us.”

He said the junta has finally agreed to receive an Ecowas mission on Saturday for peace talks to begin.