The military Junta in Niger Republic have ordered the armed forces in the country to go on maximum alert citing an increased threat of attack by ECOWAS-led forces.
The main West African bloc, ECOWAS, has been attempting to talk with the leaders of the July 26 coup, but has stated that if negotiations fall through, it is prepared to send soldiers to restore constitutional order.
An internal document issued by its defence chief which was sighted by Africa Today News, New York on Sunday said the order to be on the highest state of readiness would allow forces to respond adequately in case of any attack and ‘avoid a general surprise’.
‘Threats of aggression to the national territory are increasingly being felt,’ it said.
ECOWAS downplayed this threat and said on Friday it is “determined to bend backwards to accommodate diplomatic efforts” – although a military intervention remained one of the options on the table.
‘For the avoidance of doubt, let me state unequivocally that ECOWAS has neither declared war on the people of Niger, nor is there a plan, as it is being purported, to invade the country,’ ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray told reporters.
The bloc’s decision earlier in August to activate a so-called standby force for a possible intervention has raised fears of an escalation that could further destabilise the rebellion-ridden Sahel region.
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Meanwhile, thousands of people rallied in the capital Niamey on Saturday in support of the military leaders behind last month’s coup.
“This is expected to be the largest rally over the last month. Organisers say they expect one million people here,” said Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from the stadium in Niamey. “They will hear speeches from the military and leaders of the coup.”
The Seyni Kountche stadium, the largest in Niger with a capacity of 30,000 seats, was two-thirds full and the sound of vuvuzelas rang out in the late evening.
The flags of Niger, Algeria, and Russia dotted the stands, while acrobats painted in Niger’s national colours put on a show in the centre of the pitch.
‘We have the right to choose the partners we want, France must respect this choice,” said Ramatou Ibrahim Boubacar, a model wearing Nigerien flags from head to toe.
‘For 60 years, we have never been independent, only since the day of the coup d’etat,’ she said.
Boubacar added the country fully supports the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), which seized power after President Mohamed Bazoum’s government was overthrown on July 26.
The CNSP is led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who has made former colonial power France its new target.