Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament for Bawku Central and a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, believes that if the regional bloc intervenes in the Niger coup, it will succeed with minimal effort.
On July 27, soldiers, largely from the presidential guard, kidnapped Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, thereby dissolving the constitution, suspending all institutions, and closing the country’s borders. President Mohamed Bazoum is still being held by the presidential guard.
Mr. Ayariga remarked in an interview with Bernard Avle on Citi TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday that the Nigerien security forces could not compete with ECOWAS, which is why the latter would triumph if it intervened.
“I do not think that the Nigerien security apparatus has the capacity to withstand the combined efforts of West Africa,” he said.
“If they decide to intervene, and they even make in my opinion a minimum effort, I believe they will succeed. The reason is that the Nigerian security apparatus is not united behind the president’s guard unit that is really behind this coup.”
Meanwhile, Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd.) warned ECOWAS to be cautious in its handling of Niger’s democratic restoration process.
The regional bloc’s threat to intervene militarily was denounced by the security analyst. He called the move hasty.
Col. Aboagye stated that ECOWAS will rethink its decision and speak with the numerous military leaders stationed in the country and the Sahel area on the requirements, cost, and risk of participating militarily.
He specifically warned the regional bloc not to aggravate the issue by disregarding the interests of some superpowers in the dispute.
