Any military intervention against Niger would mean a declaration of war on Burkina Faso and Mali, the Burkina Faso and Mali transitional governments said in a joint statement.
“The interim governments of Burkina Faso and Mali… warn that any military intervention against Niger will amount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali,” according to the statement.
The release further indicated that such a move could also mark the pair of interim governments to pull back from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“The transitional governments of Burkina Faso and Mali… warn that any military intervention against Niger could result in the withdrawal of Burkina Faso and Mali from ECOWAS and the adoption of legitimate defense measures in support of the Armed Forces and people of Niger,” the statement read.
The declaration comes days after the Nigerien military on July 26 detailed they had overthrown the president, closed borders and imposed a curfew in the country. In fact, it came hours after members of the presidential guard detained the president at his residence and sealed off access to his offices in Niamey.
The president’s office said Niger’s army was not supporting the mutineers. On July 27, however, the command of the country’s armed forces declared its solidarity with the coup.
On July 30, Omar Alieu Touray, the head of the ECOWAS Commission, said the bloc was giving Niger one week to return the detained president to power or it could use “all measures,” including military, to restore order in the country.
Moreover, ECOWAS suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze the assets of the rebels, their families and supporters, and imposed a ban on commercial flights to and from the country. France and Germany also suspended financial aid to Niger.
