2023-08-03 17:01:00
Dakar, Aug 3 (APS) – Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall said on Thursday that “Senegalese soldiers will participate in a military intervention in Niger”, if the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) endorses this decision.
« Yes, Senegal will participate in a military intervention in Niger within the framework of ECOWAS”, affirmed the head of Senegalese diplomacy.
The patron saint of Senegalese diplomacy took part in the meeting called “The government facing the press”, alongside government spokesperson Abdou Karim Fofana and the minister in charge of Senegalese abroad, Annette Seck Ndiaye. .
“Our soldiers must go [au Niger] for two reasons”, argued the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“The first obeys the principle that unconstitutional regime changes must be stopped. The second reason is that Senegal is a stakeholder in ECOWAS, a sub-regional organization in which its signature counts,” explained Aissata Tall Sall.
The Nigerien president democratically elected in 2021, Mohamed Bazoum, and some of his former ministers have been held back since the coup d’état perpetrated on July 26 by putschists led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, who now heads the National Council for the Safeguarding of homeland (CNSP).
On Sunday, during a “special” summit organized in Abuja (Nigeria) on the situation in Niger, ECOWAS gave the junta a one-week ultimatum for a “full return to constitutional order”. The sub-regional organization says it does not rule out “military intervention” to achieve this objective.
On Wednesday, the chiefs of staff of the member countries met again in Abuja to discuss this eventuality.
Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, as well as Algeria expressed their opposition to a military operation. Ouagadougou and Bamako have gone so far as to equate any attack on Niger with “a declaration of war”.
Senegal is awaiting the final decision from ECOWAS, said Aissenta Tall Sall, adding that the one-week deadline given to the Nigerien junta for a constitutional return “is still short”.
“ECOWAS wants to say stop to this coup d’état too many”, and “in the event of military intervention by the sub-regional organization, the Senegalese soldiers will take part”, insisted the patron saint of Senegalese diplomacy.
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