NIGER: Coup supporters defy ECOWAS threat, pack 30,000-capacity football stadium

By Hans Ngala
Thousands of Nigeriens thronged to a football stadium in the capital Niamey on Sunday, chanting patriotic slogans, in clear defiance of threats by the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) which is also backed by Niger’s former colonizer, France.
ECOWAS military chiefs had issued a statement threatening to invade Niger on Sunday, August 6th if the country’s coup leaders failed to reinstate the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum whom France has described as the “only authority we recognize” in Niger.
Coup leaders however closed Niger’s airspace, stating that any military intervention by ECOWAS or the French would be considered an act of war. Algeria which borders Niger to the north also refused to allow its territory to be used for any military intervention – helping give Niger much-needed security.
At press time, ECOWAS which had been threatening to invade Niger with troops, had not made any further statement as the deadline which the bloc’s military chiefs gave, elapsed on Sunday night.
The silence of ECOWAS also signals the regional bloc’s confusion and uncertainty as to what to do in the face of a coup that has wide support within the ranks of ordinary Nigeriens. Niger is a land-locked country and any military intervention will certainly need the permission of its neighbors, most of whom instead support the coup. Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Chad which in the last few years have had coups of their own have either outright supported the coup (as in the case of the first three countries) or have taken a more diplomatic stance, calling for dialogue as in the case of Chad.
The ECOWAS threats ring hollow as the bloc is unsure what steps to take regarding Niger as multiple nations are pulling their troops out of the embattled country. In the wake of the coup, US and Italian forces evacuated their troops over the weekend and landed in Rome on Sunday – the same day ECOWAS gave as a deadline for their threatened military invasion of Niger. The evacuation sends a subtle message that these nations do not want to get caught up in yet another civil war in Africa, making the coup leaders bask in their own power and garnering the support of the masses.
While Niger until recently was a crucial ally of the West in helping them fight terrorism in the Sahel, the country’s new leaders seem to be choosing new allies – choosing to turn to the Russians, much to the chagrin of the West.
Sunday’s crowds who packed the football stadium beyond capacity, remaining unfazed by threats from ECOWAS are a clear proof of France’s weakening grip on the country and a clear sign that the regional bloc is nothing more than a toothless bulldog. However, it remains to be seen what the 15-member state organization will say or do this week, but observers shouldn’t expect anything else but more hollow speeches and threats.