West African military leaders are meeting today, Thursday, in Accra, the capital of Ghana, to discuss a potential military intervention in Niger if diplomacy fails to resolve the military coup. Members of the presidential guard in Niger, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, seized power last month, prompting condemnation from global powers and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which decided last week to activate a standby military force.
The ECOWAS military leaders' meeting will take place at the Ghanaian Armed Forces headquarters around 09:00 GMT today and will conclude on Friday afternoon. The military council in Niger has stated it is open to talks to resolve the situation but continues to detain deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and has indicated it will prosecute him for high treason, which is viewed as a sign of the council's reluctance to pursue a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Military intervention could further destabilize the impoverished Sahel region, where insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS have displaced millions over the past decade and caused a hunger crisis. There are American, French, German, and Italian forces in Niger as part of international efforts to combat insurgency. The country also holds strategic importance for global powers due to its uranium and oil reserves.
