North African heavy weights, Algeria and Egypt have moved to block any sort of military intervention in the Niger Republic, stressing that dialogue remains the best option out of the current political crisis in the country.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that West African leaders had, in the aftermath of the coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum, threatened to embark on military intervention in the Sahel country should the coup leaders, led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, fail to restore democracy in the country and the ousted president to power.
Currently, prominent individuals and groups in Nigeria, including the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, and Northern Elders Forum, NEF, among others have raised oppositions to military option in Niger.
While also advocating dialogue to resolve the crisis in Niger, they contended that any military operation in the country could create problems for Nigeria, being its closest neighbour.
Read Also: Niger Coup: UK Defence Minister Throws Weight Behind ECOWAS
This is even as indications emerged yesterday that over 7,000 migrants are currently stranded in Niger as a result of border closures.
To find a solution to the lingering problem, the Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has dispatched the foreign minister, Ahmed Attaf, to visit Nigeria, Benin Republic and Ghana.
The Foreign Minister, who started the tour yesterday, is to hold consultations with his counterparts in ECOWAS countries, with a mandate to make a case for diplomacy, rather than military intervention.
Africa Today News, New York reports that Algeria, which shares a 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) long land border with Niger, had previously warned against a military solution, which Tebboune said would be ‘a direct threat’ to his North African country.
He said: ‘There will be no solution without us (Algeria). We are the first people affected.’
Tuesday saw the African Union suspending Niger until civilian government was reinstated and announcing that it would weigh the pros and cons of any armed involvement.
Algeria also borders Mali and Libya, both of which are embroiled in protracted wars.
Niger, after Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali, is the fourth country in West Africa to experience a coup since 2020.
Any military action against one of their neighbours would be regarded as a “declaration of war” on Burkina Faso or Mali, according to the juntas in those countries.
On its part, the Egyptian government stressed the need for dialogue, contending that military approach to the issue in Niger would do the West African sub-region and the continent no good.
The government said in as much as it is important to restore democratic governance to Niger Republic within the shortest possible time, it is also expedient not to plunge the country into a war that could affect its neighbours.