Staff Reports
The situation in West Africa is heating up as tensions rise between Russian-backed nations and the regional bloc ECOWAS. Last week, Niger experienced a military coup, with key leaders, including President Mohamed Bazoum, being arrested. In response, ECOWAS met and decided to form a regional peacekeeping force to address the recent coups in the area.
Since 2020, several West African countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea, have undergone coups, leading to their suspension from ECOWAS. Niger has been given a one-week ultimatum to restore its democratically elected government or face a similar fate. Military action has also been threatened if Bazoum’s government is not reinstated.
On Tuesday, tensions escalated further as military leaders from Mali and Burkina Faso warned that ECOWAS military intervention in Niger would be considered an act of war against them, prompting a military response. Guinea also supported this stance, stating that such intervention would spell “the end of ECOWAS.”
BREAKING: Niger's neighboring countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, vow to go to war against the US-backed African Union and ECOWAS if they use force in an attempt to reinstate the ousted President of Niger.
This comes after ECOWAS and AU issued an ultimatum to the soldiers in… pic.twitter.com/lrv5ZTwBbd
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) August 1, 2023
This growing conflict in the region could potentially ignite one of the deadliest wars in Africa in decades. It also presents another area of contention between Russia and NATO nations. Since the coups, Russia has established close relationships with various West African countries, offering debt forgiveness and significant aid.
The region, previously under French colonization, has shown a shift away from France towards Russia. For instance, Mali recently removed French as a national language, while pro-Russia nations have banned gold and uranium exports to France and the United States. The French embassy in Niger also came under attack, with rioters setting it on fire. France has warned that any harm to its diplomats or interests will be met with a “stringent response.”
President Biden has also expressed his concern, threatening to end U.S. military cooperation with Niger unless its democratically elected government is restored. The U.S., along with France and other European allies, has been actively involved in combating Islamist militant groups like Boko Haram and its ISIS-aligned offshoot. It is worth noting that in 2017, four U.S. special forces soldiers were killed during an ambush by ISIS-aligned militants in Niger.
The situation in West Africa is critical, with the potential for further escalation and devastating consequences. It is imperative that a peaceful resolution is reached, and stability is restored to the region.
