NIAMEY, Niger
Niger has authorized the armed forces of Mali and Burkina Faso to intervene on its territory in the event of an attack on the country, Reuters reported, citing a joint statement by the three African countries. This was reported by BTA.
According to the agency, this
is a possible sign that Niger's junta plans to continue resisting regional
pressure to back down.
The Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) is trying to negotiate with the coup leaders, but has
warned it is ready to send troops to Niger to restore constitutional
order if diplomatic efforts fail.
Any escalation of the crisis
risks further destabilizing the rebel-torn region, as Niger's
neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso have said they would
support Niger in any potential conflict with ECOWAS.
The foreign ministers of the
three countries announced that they had met in Niger's capital, Niamey, to
discuss strengthening security cooperation and other common issues.
The statement said the foreign
ministers welcomed yesterday's signing by Niger junta leader
General Abdourahamane Tchiani of two orders "authorizing the defense
and security forces of Burkina Faso and Mali to intervene
in Niger territory in the event of an attack".
"The ministers of Burkina
Faso and Mali ... confirmed that they reject armed intervention
against the people of Niger, which would be considered a declaration of
war," the statement said.
No comments:
Post a Comment