Niger Calm as Coup Ultimatum Expires

1. Coup leaders show no willingness to give in to external pressure.
2. ECOWAS military intervention plans trigger fears of further conflict.
3. Some citizens oppose potential ECOWAS sanctions, blaming imperialist motives.

Citizens in Niger’s capital remain calm despite the threat of military intervention by West Africa’s regional bloc. The ultimatum for the coup leaders to reinstate the president has expired, but there are no signs of opposition to the junta.

The coup in Niger is the seventh in West and Central Africa in three years and has raised concerns in the western Sahel region due to its strategic significance for Russia, China, and the West, given Niger’s rich uranium and oil deposits.

Thousands of coup supporters gathered at a stadium in Niamey, expressing solidarity with the military-led administration. The CNSP leaders received cheers from supporters, many carrying Russian flags and portraits of the junta’s leaders.

General Mohamed Toumba, one of the CNSP leaders, denounced those plotting subversion against Niger’s progress in his speech at the stadium.

The demonstration occurred as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) set an ultimatum for the coup leaders to reinstate the ousted president. However, the coup leaders have shown no signs of giving in to external pressure.

ECOWAS had previously agreed on a plan for military intervention if President Bazoum was not reinstated by August 6. The situation has triggered fears of further conflict in a region already grappling with a deadly Islamist insurgency. Some citizens express opposition to potential ECOWAS sanctions and blame imperialist motives for the crisis

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