2023-08-01 04:41:47
Six days following the Niger military coupthe situation is increasingly tense between the supporters of the fallen power and the putschist soldiers.
While ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) demands the release of President Bazoum and his family, on pain of resorting to “force”, the military junta accused France of “to want to intervene militarilyto rehabilitate the elected president.
It is in this context that Chad, a neighbor of Niger, began, on Sunday July 30, an attempt at mediation to find a way out of the crisis.
A visit during which the transitional president Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno met the putschist general Abdourahamane Tiani, the deposed president Mohamed Bazoum as well as his predecessor Mahamadou Issoufou, who had himself tried to negotiate, in vain, with the soldiers.
Welcoming “in-depth discussions” with the various parties, the Chadian transitional president defended “a fraternal approach” aimed at “exploring all avenues in order to find a peaceful solution to the crisis”.
A “putschist” mediator
Since its announcement, Chad’s mediation has sparked a slew of reactions, sometimes critical. “What a scandal to send a putschist to negotiate with another to leave power. What kind of plan is that?” Malian journalist Malick Konate was indignant on the X network, formerly Twitter. The researcher Niagale Bagayoko was also surprised by the presence in Niamey of this mediator “himself at the head of a military junta”.
In power since April 2021, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno succeeded his father, Marshal Idriss Déby Itno, killed on the battlefield once morest the rebels, following 30 years in power. While, according to the Constitution, it was up to the president of the National Assembly to ensure the interim, a military council took power, headed by the son of the late president.
Opting for Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, who was never elected to settle a putsch situation, may seem “ill-advised” explains Jean-Hervé Jézéquel, director of the Sahel project at the International Crisis Group. But “we had to find someone high enough in the political hierarchy and at the same time who might share a certain message with the military actors” he analyzes.
Close relationships
While many observers have criticized the unfortunate political message of this mission, the regional powers have welcomed the Chadian initiative, including Niger. Prime Minister of the ousted government Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou (son of ex-president Mahamadou Issoufou, Editor’s note), who remained loyal to President Bazoum, felt that this mediation might “provide a solution to the problem we are encountering”.
“The authorities of Niger and Chad know each other well and maintain very cordial relations. Former President Mahamadou Issoufou had even pleaded with François Hollande, rather critical of Idriss Deby, to include him in theintervention Serval“ underlines Roland Marchal, researcher at Sciences-Po specializing in Chad.
Close to Mohamed Bazoum, the Chadian transitional president is also close to the generals who have taken power. The two bordering countries have carried out joint missions in the Lake Chad region and are members of the G5 Sahel, the regional force created in 2017 to fight once morest the expansion of terrorist groups.
“It’s soldiers talking to soldiers and we know that in this kind of situation it’s important” analyzes Jean-Hervé Jézéquel.
Read alsoCoup in Niger: Bazoum tried to “gain autonomy” once morest his presidential guard
Last resort solution?
The Chadian mediation mission comes following the ECOWAS meeting during which severe sanctions were announced once morest Niger, including the closure of land and air borders, the suspension of commercial and financial transactions or even the travel ban and asset freeze of coup officers and their families.
This particularly harsh line is seen as coming from the organisation’s new chairman, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who erected the defense of regional democracy in priority. A goal that did not prevent him from supporting the mission of Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, whom he received in Abuja.
“In Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, ECOWAS sanctions have not had very convincing results and have aroused much criticism,” analyzes Amin Idriss, a Chadian political and economic analyst. “In this context, the Chadian transitional president has imposed himself as a mediator in the crisis in Niger, not only because of his privileged links with the various actors, but also because he is welcomed there with much less mistrust than the members of ECOWAS. The regional organization had no other choice. For its part, Chad is itself carrying out a difficult political transition. It is already confronted with the war in sudan in the east, has the instability of Libya in the north and has no interest in the situation degenerating in its ally and neighbor Niger. It remains to be seen now what direction the negotiations will take: towards the return of President Bazoum to power or the establishment by the military of a transitional government.
For the time being, no information has filtered as to the content of the exchanges. Back from his visit to Niamey, the Chadian transitional president said he was continuing to follow the situation very closely and that he wanted to be “confident”, according to Mamadou Djimtebaye, France 24 correspondent in N’Djamena.
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