West African countries gave on Sunday the military junta in Niger a one-week ultimatum to restore constitutional order, imposing an economic blockade and affirming that they do not rule out “the use of force.”
French President Emmanuel Macron warned the coup leaders of an immediate and strong response to any attack targeting French citizens and interests in Niger. Thousands of people protested outside the French embassy in Niamey on Sunday.
Some of the protestors attempted to storm the building before being dispersed using tear gas. Others seized the sign reading “Embassy of France in Niger,” stomped on it, and replaced it with the flags of Russia and Niger, according to an AFP correspondent.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s head of foreign affairs, held the Nigerien junta responsible for any attack on foreign embassies. He stated that the EU will “swiftly and firmly” support the decisions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The regional bloc and the EU, along with Western countries, do not recognize the “authorities” resulting from the coup and demand the return to constitutional order.
An extraordinary summit of ECOWAS and Niger, with 14 other member countries, was held in Abuja on Sunday under the auspices of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who has been leading the group since the beginning of July, at the end of the summit, the group demanded the “immediate release” of President Bazoum and a “full return to constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.”
The regional organization also decided to “suspend all trade and financial exchanges” between member states and Niger, and warned that if the demands are not met within a week, the group will take “all necessary measures… which may include the use of force.”
They also imposed financial sanctions, including “freezing the assets of military officials involved in the coup attempt.”
The United States expressed its “steadfast support” for Bazoum, stating that the coup jeopardizes the “partnership” between the US and Niger.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, “We stand with ECOWAS and regional leaders in demanding the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family and the full return of power to the government.”
Blinken added that “the United States will remain actively engaged with ECOWAS and West African leaders on the next steps to preserve the democracy that Niger has worked so hard to achieve.”
President Tinubu said, “The time is no longer right for us to send warning signals; it is time to act.”
Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno also participated in the summit, although his country is not a member of ECOWAS. However, Chad is a neighboring country of Niger and is also a military force in the Sahel region, allied with France.
Déby then traveled to Niamey on Sunday as part of a “Chadian initiative” to “see what can be done to resolve the crisis” in Niger, according to Chadian government spokesperson Aziz Mahamat Saleh. During these mediation efforts, Déby spoke to Bazoum and posted a picture of the two on Facebook, the first image of the Nigerien president since the coup. Bazoum appeared to be smiling while sitting next to the Chadian president.
Former Nigerien President Mahamane Ousmane announced on Sunday that he is working on “finding a way out of the crisis through negotiations,” with the goal of “releasing” his successor Mohamed Bazoum and “returning him to his position.”
The ruling military junta condemned the ECOWAS summit on Saturday, seeing it as a “threat of imminent military intervention in Niamey in cooperation with non-ECOWAS African countries and some Western countries.”