Could Niger’s turmoil echo Syria — and give extremists a new foothold?
Global News
West African states will hold a summit on Thursday to discuss Niger's junta, after backing down from military intervention, as fears of a power vacuum grow.
Two weeks ago, West African leaders threatened to invade Niger if the military junta didn’t step down and reinstate the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum.
But those backing the ouster ignored it. And the tanks and troops never rolled in.
In the days since, thousands of Nigeriens have rallied in support of their camo-clad leaders while the military regimes in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali promised to defend Niger’s new army rulers.
And instead of a democracy-restoring invasion, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is now planning a summit on Thursday — and regional experts say any solution must be diplomatic, not armed.
But they warn something needs to be done soon to stabilize a region already wracked by Islamist insurgency and extreme poverty.
“We all saw what happened in Syria when Syria was under attack and the conflict there and how this led to the formation and expansion of ISIS,” said Olayinka Ajala, a lecturer at the University of Leeds Beckett in the United Kingdom.
“This same thing could actually happen in the Sahel.”
Niger is one of the largest countries in the region. And after last year’s coup in Mali, Niger has stepped in to become a bulwark against terrorism, hosting an American drone base and French troops.