Russia urges dialogue, not force, in Niger crisis
The Russian Federation has advised the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against military intervention in response to the coup in Niger Republic.
On Sunday, the ECOWAS resolved to restore constitutional order in Niger and stated that they would use all necessary measures, including force, if their demands are not met within a week.
In a joint statement on Monday, Mali and Burkina Faso, West African countries suspended from ECOWAS due to military coups, supported the actions of the Nigerien military.
READ ALSO: Niger Coup: Military Chiefs from Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, others meet in Abuja
They warned against further interventions that could jeopardize the spirit of Pan-Africanism and threatened to withdraw from the regional bloc. Both countries also expressed readiness to adopt “self-defense measures” in support of Niger’s armed forces and its people, whom they consider “brothers.”
Addressing the situation on Wednesday, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, stated that the use of force by the ECOWAS would be unhelpful.
She emphasized that the threat of military intervention in Niger will not contribute to a resolution and called for urgent national dialogue as the way forward to restore democracy in the unstable West African country, which has experienced five coups.
Despite condemning the coup in Niger, Russia’s Wagner Group, a private mercenary group, has praised the military takeover. Led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the group has been involved in various African states, prompting concerns from the West. Recently, they arrived in the Central African Republic (CAR) ahead of a constitutional referendum.
On Tuesday, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, accused Russia of being behind the coup in Niger.
He described it as a standard Russian tactic to divert attention and escalate the conflict, citing Prigozhin’s approval of the military takeover as evidence of Russia’s involvement.
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