African Union suspends participation of Niger following coup

The AU Peace and Security Council has taken note of the West African bloc ECOWAS’ decision to activate a standby force for possible military intervention and asked the AU Commission to assess the economic, social, and security implications of deploying such a force.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said it is prepared to send troops into Niger if diplomatic efforts to restore democracy fail, according to Reuters.

The AU called on all of its member states and the international community to refrain from any action that could legitimize Niger’s junta and said it strongly rejected interference from any actor or country outside of Africa.

Niger became the third Sahel country in less than three years, following neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, to be shaken by a military coup.

In a joint statement, the governments of Burkina Faso and Mali warned that “disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger … could destabilize the entire region”.

“Any military intervention against Niger would be considered as a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali,” the statement reads.

MP/PR