11 nations of West Africa commit to a military deployment to restore the ousted president of Niger
11 nations of West Africa commit to a military deployment to restore the ousted president of Niger
An official of the West African bloc of nations says 11 countries in the region have agreed to commit troops to a military deployment aimed at restoring Niger’s democratically elected president following last month’s coup.
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It's great that West African nations are taking care of this themselves. It is a moment of empowerment. They should take care of their own. Without interference from the outside. Neither from the West, nor Russia, nor China.
I assure you ecowas is being encouraged down this road by the us and France and will likely have the military aid of France who is pissed that the locals lightly attacked their embassy in Niger a few weeks ago
Perceptions matter. Even if the West is supplying the arms. It is still West Africans doing the deed.
It would be a colonial intervention if Western militaries invaded the country and deposed the junta. That would be a whole different situation. It wasn't that long ago when Western powers would routinely do this. Or fund dictators to get rid of democratically elected officials. So, progress?
Yeah I’m active in African politics and have people in Africa who I regularly interact with and send remittances to. I’ve yet to interact with a single African person who thinks the actions of ECOWAS are in any way serving the needs of the African people. It’s very clearly viewed as ECOWAS attempting to re-assert neo-colonial control of the region. ECOWAS itself is likely facing a threat from the west, and feels like if they don’t intervene the west will. France and the US are very angry they no longer have their gigantic drone bases in Niger anymore, which were the gigantic drone bases in Burkina Faso before that, which were the bases in Mali before that. There’s a clear through-line here in all of these coups, and it’s western militaries setting up shop under the guise of fighting Islamic extremism.
It's nothing particularly new. ECOWAS intervened militarily in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bisseau as far back as the 1990s.
I remember when ECOMOG filled a similar role 25-30 years ago.
"Every Car Or Movable Object Gone"
African acronym shitposting is next-level.
„They should take care of their own.“ This is at best a naive sentiment. They’re on planet Earth after all. Also, because they’re in Africa, doesn‘t mean other African nations will treat them favourably. Economic interests in this area are huge. That ECOWAS will act in the interest of the people of Niger is highly doubtful.