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ECOWAS Sets Date for Military Intervention in Niger - Commissioner

Sputnik News

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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - General staff chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed on a date for the beginning of military intervention in Niger, but will not make it public, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah said on Friday.

"The D-day is also decided. We've already agreed and fine-tuned what will be required for the intervention," Musah was quoted as saying by Qatari media.

Although the ECOWAS commissioner refused to disclose the date of possible intervention, he said that the bloc's troops were ready "to go anytime the order is given."

The commissioner added that the African bloc could send a diplomatic mission to Niger on Saturday.

"Tomorrow there is the possibility of an ECOWAS mission going into Niger to continue to pursue the peaceful path to restoration of constitutional order. We are ready to resolve the issue peacefully but it takes two to tango," French media quoted Musah as saying.

Musah made the statement at the end of a two-day meeting of the ECOWAS general staff chiefs in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.

A military takeover took place in Niger on July 26 and saw Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani.

Following the events, ECOWAS suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze rebels' assets and imposed a ban on commercial flights to and from the country. In early August, during a summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, ECOWAS leaders agreed to activate a standby force to potentially compel the Nigerien military to reinstate Bazoum.

© Sputnik