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Dr. Omar Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, has emphasized that the regional organization has not announced any intention to engage in warfare against the citizens of Niger Republic, nor has it formulated any strategies to invade the nation.
Dr. Touray made this clarification while briefing journalists in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital where he noted that it had been observed that some influential people in the region had promoted the misrepresentation of the planned invasion of Niger by the ECOWAS Standby Force.
He explained that deployment of ECOWAS Standby Force was provided in the ECOWAS Protocol in the advent of an unconstitutional change of government in any member country.
The Mechanism of the ECOWAS Protocol provides that the force can be deployed in the event of an overthrow or an attempt at a democratically elected government, according to Touray.
Furthermore, the Supplementary Act of 2012 also provides for sanctions to be invoked against any member state that fails to honour its obligations to ECOWAS. It also provides for the use of legitimate force in the restoration of constitutional order, which according to Dr Touray, Niger is signatory to all these instruments.
The President of the regional bloc said the Authority of Heads of State and Government was only activating these provisions in ensuring that constitutional order is restored to Niger.
“The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government only activated a full-scale application of sanctions which includes the use of legitimate force to restore constitutional order.”
The President of the West African regional body decried the misrepresentation of the decision of the Heads of State and Government as a declaration of war against the Niger Republic or a planned invasion of the country.
Dr. Touray noted that in the interim, the region was employing other elements of its instruments in engaging the military authorities in partnership with the African Union and the UN.
ECOWAS however is hopeful that all diplomatic efforts will yield positive action on the part of the junta as preparations continue to make the force ready for deployment, in case it becomes compelling to use military force.
The ECOWAS president said that “it is not too late” for the military junta to reconsider as the community would not condone coup de tat.
He also said that the three-year transition was unacceptable while urging General Abdourahamane Tchiani-led junta to return to civilian rule as soon as possible.
According to him, ECOWAS is hopeful that all diplomatic efforts would yield positive action on the part of the junta as preparations were continuing to make the force ready for deployment, in case it becomes compelling to use such force.
The ECOWAS president asserted that the community will continue to demand the immediate restoration to civilian rule, explaining that its actions are not against the interest of the people of Niger.
He insisted all measures would be taken and not the use of force alone.
Dr Touray said the community remained on the side of the people as they deserved to move freely within the region and promised that the community would continue to work in the interest of the people.
He further explained that at no time and nowhere did ECOWAS indicate that at the end of the seven-day ultimatum pronounced hitherto, the use of force would be deployed.
The ECOWAS President, Dr Touray, affirmed that the deployment of the Standby Force was still on the table and as provided for in the 1999 instrument and was permissible, as part of measures that would be enforced.