Mali, Burkina Faso, sends delegation to Niger in solidarity

Mali and Burkina Faso’s ruling juntas sent delegations to Niamey on Monday to show unity with the leaders of the coup in Niger amid regional threats to intervene against them.

The talks came after the passing of a deadline set by the regional bloc known as ECOWAS for the Nigerien military to return ousted president Mohamed Bazoum to power.

Both Mali and Burkina Faso had previously warned that any foreign intervention in Niger would be considered as a “declaration of war” against them.

Regional tensions have mounted since the coup nearly two weeks ago, when mutinous soldiers detained Bazoum and installed Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, former head of the presidential guard, as head of state.

This gesture of solidarity comes amidst mounting pressure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which issued a deadline for the coup leaders to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum. Failure to comply with this ultimatum could result in potential military action from the regional bloc.

The political crisis in Niger took a sharp turn on July 26, when the presidential guard detained President Bazoum, leading to the subsequent declaration of interim leadership by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who also assumed the presidency of the caretaker National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland.