In favor of the military coup that occurred last month, thousands of Nigeriens marched in the city of Niger on Sunday as the Economic Community for West African States gears towards a possible invasion of Niger following the refusal of the junta government to return the country to civilian rule.
The protesters screamed anti-French and anti-ECOWAS chants. If talks with the coup leaders fail, ECOWAS, a regional bloc in West Africa, may launch a military action to restore elected president Mohamed Bazoum.
Despite the fact that the Sahel state’s new military rulers have officially outlawed demonstrations, individuals in favour of the coup are nonetheless permitted to hold them.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed financial and trade restrictions four days after the July 26 coup, and the protesters brandished signs reading “Stop the military intervention” and “No to sanctions.”
According to AFP journalists, artists who supported the new military rule performed at the pro-coup event on Sunday.
A day after the new military ruler in Niamey issued a warning that an attack on Niger would not be a “walk in the park,” the latest in a series of pro-coup rallies took place.
In a televised speech on Saturday, General Abdourahamane Tiani added that he did not want to “confiscate” power and that a return to civilian control would not last longer than three years.
The Niger junta leaders have charged France, a close Bazoum supporter, of orchestrating ECOWAS’ anti-coup stance, which was the focus of a renewed diplomatic effort on Saturday.
The 17-nation group said it had decided on a date for a prospective intervention after its chiefs of staff met on Friday in Accra, Ghana.
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