African Union Suspends Niger, May Activate Standby Force

•Warns non-African states, Wagner group against involvement  

•Abubakar meets Tinubu, confident crisis won’t deteriorate beyond diplomatic option  

•JAF condemns economic sanctions

Deji Elumoye, Kingsley Nwezeh and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja with agency reports

African Union (AU), yesterday, suspended Niger and barred it from all the activities of the organisation following last month’s military coup in the country, which ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. AU directed member states to avoid any action that might legitimise the junta.

The continental body said it was considering activating its standby force and sending troops to Niger. But it warned against interference in Niger by non-African countries and entities, including private military companies, like the Russian Wagner Group. The AU warning followed a video by Wagner Chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who claimed to be in Africa.

However, Nigeria’s former military Head of State and leader of the Special Envoy of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to Niger Republic, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, yesterday, expressed optimism that the crisis in that country was not likely to deteriorate beyond the diplomatic option being currently employed. Abdulsalami spoke after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

At the same time, Joint Action Front (JAF) condemned plans by ECOWAS to launch military intervention in Niger Republic and impose economic sanctions on the country. JAF described the cutting of electricity supply to Niger Republic by Nigeria and the closures of its borders with that country, as recently ordered by the Tinubu government, as callous.

Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, also cautioned ECOWAS against military intervention in Niger Republic.

ECOWAS had sustained negotiations with the Niger junta, but expressed its readiness to send troops to the country to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts failed.

The AU Peace and Security Council said in a communique on Tuesday that it had noted ECOWAS’ decision to activate a standby force, and asked the AU Commission to assess the economic, social, and security implications of deploying such a force.

AU also said it had asked the AU Commission to compile a list of members of the junta and their supporters for targeted sanctions and “the application of individual punitive measures”.

The continental body said the resolutions in yesterday’s statement were adopted at a council meeting held on August 14.

Abdulsalami: Crisis Won’t Deteriorate Beyond Diplomacy

Abdulsalami said he was optimistic the Niger coup crisis won’t escalate beyond the current diplomatic options. He gave the assurance after meeting Tinubu, who is Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS.

The former head of state said a channel of communication had been opened between the ECOWAS envoy and the Niger junta for resolution of the crisis.

Abdulsalami described his recent meeting with the junta as successful, and said part of the reasons he came to Tinubu was to deliver the terms of the Niger military authorities.

Asked if there was any possibility of avoiding a military action in Niger, Abdulsalami said, “Hopefully, diplomacy will see the better of this. Nobody wants to go war, it doesn’t pay anybody. But then, again, our leaders have said if all fails and I don’t think all will fail, we’ll get somewhere; we’ll get out of this mess.”

Abdulsalami had held a meeting last weekend with Bazoum and the leader of the junta in the country, Abdouramane Tchiani, and said he had delivered the terms of the Niger military leadership to ECOWAS.

The former Nigerian head of state said correspondence had opened between the West African regional bloc and the military in Niger, noting that the line of contact opened by ECOWAS through his appointment as envoy had been very fruitful. He expressed hope that something concrete would soon come out of the process.

Abdulsalami told reporters, “As you are aware, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have made me an envoy to Niger Republic and we were there over the weekend to see the military people and discussed to find a way out of the lacuna we find ourselves.

“So, that’s why I’m here this afternoon, together with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, to give a report back to Mr. President on our discussions in Niger. I must say that our visit to Niger has been very fruitful and that it has opened an avenue to start talking and, hopefully, we’ll get somewhere.”

On the divergence of opinions between the regional bloc and the junta on the quick return to democratic rule, Abdulsalami said, “Well, like I said, we’ve started talking, they have made their own points and then I made my report to the chairman of the ECOWAS Heads of State and President. He will now consult with his colleagues and then the ding-dong starts and we’ll get somewhere, hopefully.”

Those present at Tuesday’s meeting with Tinubu included President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, and National Security Adviser (NSA) to the Nigerian president, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

Nonetheless, El-Rufai cautioned ECOWAS against military intervention in Niger. He posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’, because a war within our sub-region is a war between brothers.

“Indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria. Let us bend, therefore, over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers.”

JAF Condemns Economic Sanctions against Niger

Joint Action Front (JAF) condemned plans by ECOWAS to launch military intervention in Niger Republic and impose economic sanctions on the country. It also said the cutting of power supply to Niger by Nigeria and closure of the border with Niger were callous.

In a statement jointly signed by Chairperson of JAF, Dipo Fashina, and Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Aremu, the group said rather than waste money in prosecuting war against Niger, the federal government should restore subsidy and reverse petrol price to the old rate of N195 per litre.

The statement said, “We call on trade unions, working people and the youth in Nigeria and West Africa to reject the planned war and the economic sanctions with a series of mass actions.

“The working masses and youth should demand, instead of wasting Nigeria’s resources on war against Niger, the Tinubu government should restore subsidy and reverse the petrol price to the old rate of N195 per litre.

“We also demand the adequate funding of public education and reversal of the current hike in school fees. We also demand the payment of decent minimum wage that matches the rate of inflation.”

JAF said while it unequivocally condemned the opportunistic coup in Niger, which had nothing to do with the genuine interests of ordinary Nigeriens, “We strongly hold that it is the responsibility of the people of Niger to determine their own government, not an external force.

“Therefore, we support any pro-democracy movement in Niger that calls and fights for the rights of the masses of Niger to democratically choose their leaders.”