The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been forewarned by Russia not to use military force in the Niger Republic.
This comes after efforts by the regional bloc to reinstall President Mohamed Bazoum, who was overthrown.
Recall that the decision to send a “standby force” to restore constitutional democracy in Niger was made during a gathering of ECOWAS leaders last Thursday in Abuja. Bola Tinubu, president of Nigeria and the ECOWAS, stated that no options were off limits and suggested employing force as a final resort.
The Russian foreign ministry responded by issuing a statement on Friday. The ministry voiced worry that a military operation inside Niger may unintentionally worsen the situation, possibly starting a protracted and difficult struggle. The ministry also warned that the invasion of this country in West Africa would cause instability to spread over the entire Sahara-Sahel area.
“We harbor the belief that a military-centric resolution to the Niger crisis holds the potential to escalate hostilities within the country and to significantly destabilize the larger Sahara-Sahel region,” the statement from the ministry stated.