NIAMEY, Niger — One week after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers in Niger to reinstate the country's ousted president or face military intervention, the junta has not acquiesced. No military action has been taken and the coup leaders appear to have gained the upper hand over the regional group that issued the threat, analysts say.
Children run through the streets Sunday in Niamey, Niger, Sunday. People marched, biked and drove through downtown Niamey, chanting "down with France" and expressing anger at ECOWAS.
The West African bloc ECOWAS gave the soldiers who overthrew Niger's democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum until last Sunday to release and reinstate him or they threatened military action. On Thursday, the bloc ordered the deployment of a “standby” force to restore constitutional rule in Niger, with Nigeria, Benin, Senegal and Ivory Coast saying they would contribute troops.
But it's unclear when, how or if the troops will deploy. The move could take weeks or months to set into motion, and while the bloc decides what to do, the junta is gaining power, some observers say.
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“It looks as though the putschists have won and will stay ... The putschists are holding all the cards and have cemented their rule,” said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank.
ECOWAS is unlikely to intervene militarily and risk dragging Niger into civil war, he said, adding that ECOWAS and Western countries would instead likely press the junta to agree to a short transition period.
Europe and the United States will have little choice but to recognize the junta in order to continue the security cooperation in the region, Laessing said.
The July 26 coup is seen as a major blow to many Western nations, which viewed Niger as one of its last partners in the conflict-riddled Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert that they could work with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The U.S. and France have more than 2,500 military personnel in the region and together with other European countries have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance and training Niger's forces.
There was still little clarity about what would happen days after ECOWAS announced the "standby" force deployment.
A meeting of the region’s defense chiefs was postponed indefinitely. The African Union is expected to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss Niger’s crisis. The group's Peace and Security Council could overrule the decision if it felt that wider peace and security on the continent were threatened by an intervention.
The delay of the defense chiefs' meeting to discuss the “standby” force shows that ECOWAS views the use of force as a last resort, said Nate Allen, an associate professor at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
Nigerien men gather for an anti-French protest Friday in Niamey, Niger.
“Given the likely challenges an intervention would face, (the use of force would) require a high degree of consensus and coordination not just within ECOWAS, but within the African Union and international community writ large,” he said.
But those with ties to the junta say they are preparing for a fight, especially since the soldiers are unwilling to negotiate unless ECOWAS acknowledges its leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who overthrew the president, as the new ruler.
“ECOWAS is demanding that (the junta) immediately release President Bazoum and restore him as head of state. Is this a joke?” said Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Niger’s new military rulers with their communications and says he is in direct contact with them. “Whether Bazoum resigns or not, he will never be Niger's president again."
As time drags on, there is mounting concern for the safety of Bazoum, who has been under house arrest with his wife and son since the coup. Those close to him say his situation is deteriorating with no water, electricity and a lack of food. Niger’s junta told a top U.S. diplomat that they would kill the deposed president if neighboring countries attempted any military intervention to restore his rule, two Western officials told The Associated Press.
Most Nigeriens are trying to go about their lives as the standoff continues between the coup leaders and regional countries.
For the most part, the streets in the capital, Niamey, are calm with sporadic pockets of pro-junta demonstrations. Any pro-Bazoum demonstrations are quickly silenced by security forces.
On Sunday people marched, biked and drove through downtown Niamey, chanting “down with France” and expressing anger at ECOWAS.
“Niger is in a deplorable situation. We are very happy there was a coup d'etat. Now everyone can go into the streets without a problem ... (but) if ECOWAS allows people to attack Niger, it will cross a red line,” said resident Saidou Issaka.
On Friday hundreds of people, many waving Russian flags, marched toward France's military base demanding the French leave. Mercenaries from the Russian-linked Wagner group already operate in a handful of other African countries and are accused of committing human rights abuses. Earlier this month during a trip to neighboring Mali, which is also run by a military regime and cooperates with Wagner, the junta reportedly asked the mercenaries for help.
5 veggie-based recipes to try this week
This week's recipe roundup makes use of seasonal produce in a variety of ways. Think chopped salads, zoodles, bruschetta and more.
Five-spice powder gives a pungent, aromatic flavor to stir-fried vegetables. The powder is a mixture of five ground spices usually consisting of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns. It adds the exciting flavors of Chinese cuisine to this simple vegetarian dinner.
As the outdoor heat continues, what could be better than these garlic-scented toasts topped with ripe, sweet tomatoes and creamy mozzarella cheese? I know, a drizzle of pesto. So good and Seriously Simple.
You’ll end up with more peanut sauce than you need in this zucchini noodle recipe, and that’s a good thing! It makes a great dip or stir-fry sauce.
Panzanella feels like an ode to summer. The classic Tuscan salad was originally created to use up stale bread, because why would you want to throw away leftover bread when you can make something delicious?
The watery tomatoes and cucumbers available in most American supermarkets can be too bland for making delicious Mediterranean-style chopped salads. But this trick coaxes out flavor.
What's summer without an ice cream sandwich? You can of course buy store-bought ice cream sandwiches. But AP food writer Katie Workman says homemade is easy and fun and lets you customize your ice cream sandwiches any which way.
