Niger: Tchiani Needs More, Not Less Pressure

Leaders of member nations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) under the aegis of the Authority of Heads of State and Government are scheduled to hold a summit meeting in Abuja on Sunday, December 10.  One “leader” that will not be there is General Abdourahmane Tchiani, who seized power in Niger Republic last July. ECOWAS had suspended his country, along with other member nations such as Mali, Guinea Conakry and Burkina Faso where soldiers also seized power from elected governments.

Niger Republic has concentrated the attention of ECOWAS leaders in the past five months, not because it was the first or even the only case of unconstitutional change of power in the region. Maybe it was because the political situation in the country was much more stable than the other three before the coup. The political situation in Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso had been rather murky for some time, easily compounded by a deteriorating security situation in the latter two, caused by insurgents, separatists and jihadists. In Niger Republic however, there was a stable and quite respectable democratic government in place, headed by President Mohammed Bazoum.

In the wake of the July coup, ECOWAS leaders suspended Niger Republic from their councils and imposed sanctions. Nigeria in particular cut power supply to the country and closed land borders. This latter move is painful for Nigerian traders too who benefit a lot from cross border trade. It is certainly more painful for landlocked Niger Republic, which relies heavily on imported, as well as smuggled, Nigerian goods and fuel for most of its needs.

Despite those measures, General Tchiani and his rebel military colleagues have so far refused to accede to any of the regional leaders’ demands. Not only have they refused to restore the elected government to power, but they have as yet no transition to civil rule program and no firm promise to restore constitutional rule in their country. In fact, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar said recently that the Nigerien junta refused even a scaled-down Nigerian demand to release President Bazoum and his family, for them to go and live abroad, not necessarily in Nigeria.

Tchiani and his colleagues are hoping to drive a wedge between ECOWAS leaders and break their united front. In addition, they are trying intimidatory tactics such as forming a “united front” with military-ruled neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso. Although Guinea and Chad are also ruled by soldiers, those two countries have not joined the cantankerous alliance of the other three and are more receptive to calls by African Union. Chad of course is not an ECOWAS member state, so the regional body does not apply pressure to it since it is not a signatory to ECOWAS protocols.

When ECOWAS leaders gather in Abuja on Sunday, this matter of Niger Republic is likely to feature prominently in their agenda. Already, there is a strong lobby to soften sanctions on the military junta, by ending the sanctions regime and reopening borders, especially with Nigeria. There is a strong lobby, fuelled by the Nigerien regime, in Nigeria and in other ECOWAS member states, to achieve this aim.

Such a move is very unwise. Without added pressure, the junta in Niamey will probably take years, if ever, to return the country to constitutional rule. Added pressure is even needed for them to accede to the short-term demand of freeing President Bazoum and members of his country to be able to live free lives abroad. 

Increasing activities of separatists and terrorists along Niger Republic’s long borders with its neighbours should also be a serious cause of concern to ECOWAS leaders. By claiming to withdraw its participation in the Joint Multinational Task Force of Chad Basin states as well as expelling French troops that were helping in the fight against terrorists in its northern borders, Tchiani and his men are already exacerbating a worse situation. Urgent steps should be taken at the ECOWAS summit to arrest the drift and the danger that it poses to the region and to the African continent as a whole. Tchiani needs more pressure, not less.

– Tudun Doki, a retired diplomat, writes  from Kano