The United States on Tuesday backed efforts by West African countries to restore constitutional order in Niger after a July 26 coup and said that diplomacy was preferable to military intervention.
Heads of state from the Economic Community of West African States are preparing for a summit on Thursday to discuss their standoff with the Niger junta, which defied an Aug. 6 deadline to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.“There’s no doubt that diplomacy is the best way to resolve this situation,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told French radio station RFI on Tuesday.
Blinken said the United States was backing ECOWAS efforts to restore constitutional order. He declined to comment on the future of some 1,100 U.S. troops in Niger, where French, German and Italian troops are also stationed. The West African bloc has imposed sanctions on Niger and Western allies have suspended aid. So far, efforts to engage diplomatically with the junta have not been fruitful.
In contrast, Tiani met on Monday with a joint delegation from Mali and Burkina Faso, both neighbouring countries where the military have also seized power from civilians.“We will not accept military intervention in Niger. Our survival depends on it,” said Abdoulaye Maiga, a spokesman for Mali’s junta, appearing on Niger state television.
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