Russia has cautioned ECOWAS against military option in Niger, saying it could escalate the conflicts in the Sahara-Sahel region.
A statement made available to SummitPost News by the Russia Embassy in Abuja, Urged ECOWAS to continue the political and diplomatic resolution of the crisis.
Bellow is the full text of the statement:
We continue to closely monitor the developments in the Republic of Niger, where President Mohamed Bazoum was removed from office on July 26 and the military announced their takeover of power.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is taking steps to restore constitutional order in Niger through political and diplomatic dialogue with the new Niger authorities. Russia supports ECOWAS’s mediating efforts aimed at finding ways out of the current crisis.
At the same time, according to incoming information, ECOWAS decided at an extraordinary summit in Abuja on August 10 to activate its standby force for a possible armed intervention in Niger to liberate Mohamed Bazoum. The Niger military have declared their readiness to fight back against any foreign interference.
In addition, they reported on establishing a transitional government, which includes representatives of civil society.
We believe that a military solution to the crisis in Niger could lead to a protracted confrontation in that African country and to a sharp destabilisation of the situation in the Sahara-Sahel region as a whole.