West African military chiefs in Ghana discuss Niger crisis

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By Bintu Jidda kanempress

18 august 2023

Military chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will meet in Ghana on Thursday and Friday to discuss a possible military intervention in Niger.

The meeting was called after the ECOWAS last week approved the deployment of a “standby force to restore constitutional order” in Niger.

The elected president, Mohamed Bazoum was toppled by the military junta on July 26.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Saturday in Accra, Ghana but was postponed to this week as ECOWAS continues efforts to negotiate with the Abdourahmane Tchiani-led military government in Niamey.

The heads of state of ECOWAS had convened in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, last Thursday and reaffirmed its preference for a diplomatic outcome.

President Mohamed Bazoum’s election in 2021 was a landmark in Niger’s history, ushering in the first peaceful transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960.