West African Military Leaders Meet to Discuss Intervention in Niger

Military leaders from West African countries are scheduled to meet for the second and final day of talks today, Friday, in Accra, the capital of Ghana, to discuss the details of a potential military intervention in Niger if diplomatic efforts fail to resolve the military coup there. The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of ECOWAS, Abdel Fattah Moussa, stated that "the use of force remains a last resort, but if all other solutions fail, the brave forces in West Africa are ready to respond to the call of duty." He added that most of the 15 member states of ECOWAS are prepared to participate in the standby force that could intervene in Niger, except for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, all of which are under military rule, as well as the small nation of Cape Verde.